


The Assignment

by MarzgaPerez



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Adolescent Sexuality, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Archery, Babysitting, Birthday Presents, Bullying, Chivalry, Crushes, Developing Friendships, Extremely Dubious Consent, Falling In Love, Flashbacks, Gen, Happily Ever After, Homophobia, Intolerance, Knitting, M/M, Making Out, Memories, Mild Language, Mutilation, Poor Theon, Ramsay is his own warning, Resentment, S'mores, Sacrifice, Sexual Content, Slow Dancing, Soulmates, Teen Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-15
Updated: 2016-11-23
Packaged: 2018-07-15 07:56:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 23,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7214107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarzgaPerez/pseuds/MarzgaPerez
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>High School AU. Theon and Sansa are in the same Home Economics class. Theon has some history with the Starks. A school assignment leads to bonding time with Sansa and a re-encounter with Jon that stirs up old feelings.</p><p>This story contains lots of flashbacks, canon-esque plot lines, and GoT cameos. I was gonna go Thansa on this one but ultimately decided on Jeon.</p><p>Side note: I went to high school in the 90's, when it was land lines and very little social media. Those were simpler times. :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Thramsay sketches](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6767473) by [WitchesBrew](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WitchesBrew/pseuds/WitchesBrew). 



The Starks. One of the most respected families in town. But Theon Greyjoy thought they were an odd bunch. They were just so...good. Sure, there was a time that he and Robb Stark had been close - and Jon too. But Theon eventually fell in with another crowd.  

Yes, the Starks were unique. After all, the Stark children made their own clothes. And instead of being ridiculed, they were admired for being trend-setters. Sansa Stark could have started her own clothing business, but she refused to let anything get in the way of her studies. It seemed as though she wanted to follow in the footsteps of her wildly successful big brother Robb. He had graduated the previous year from North as valedictorian and was a freshman at a prestigious university.

Theon would have graduated at the same time as Robb, had it not been for his unfortunate "accident." Fucking Ramsay Bolton. Since Theon had missed most of his senior year and was late in picking his electives, of course, he had ended up in the most useless class of all - Home Economics.

And when the Home Economics teacher decided to pair up Theon and Sansa for a project, he cursed to himself. Theon was thinking ahead about boring conversations and awkward exchanges with the always prim and proper Sansa Stark. He was seated several seats away from Sansa and couldn't really see her expression. He figured that she was just as thrilled. Then again, working with Sansa could get him an "A," so Theon decided not to protest.

But that was before he learned what the assignment would entail. He could hear the snickers from his classmates when he and Sansa were told to "knit" something. Knitting? Was this a fucking joke? Or was Mrs. Mordane trying to get back at him for calling her a "crotchety old bitch" when he thought she was out of earshot? Theon decided to wait until after class to ask her rather than endure more jeers from the other students.

"Mrs. Mordane...you can't be serious. I couldn't knit if I wanted to. I can barely hold a pencil."

"That's why I put you with Sansa. She'll help you. She's a lovely girl."

"Can't we bake a cake or carry an egg around for a few days? I mean, when am I ever going to knit again in my life?"

"My dear boy...if you hope to use even half of what you are learning in high school later in life, you are in for a rude awakening. All of us educators have been asked to come up with mindless activities to occupy our students' time and get their minds off of...you know...the birds and the bees. You young people and your raging hormones. Now, stop worrying about what you can't do, and go figure out what you can do. There are people who have it a lot worse than you, Theon Greyjoy."

"Humph." He muttered to himself. "I'd like to meet them."

^^^^^^^^^^

Theon looked for Sansa in the hallway after class, but she was long gone. So he was forced to call her house that evening.

It took him awhile to pry the phone away from Yara. She was too busy talking to her new bestie Brienne. Frankly, Theon didn't know why Yara still lived at home. Their father would have paid for her to live on campus, but secretly, Theon was grateful to have her around. Sure, she was annoying most of the time, but she had taken care of him after the "accident" far better than his father would have.

He went to his room and closed the door, flopping down on the bed and dialing the Starks' number. He was surprised that he still remembered it.

The phone rang a few times, and Theon was praying that neither Stark parent would pick up the phone.

"Hello. Stark residence."

"Is Sansa there?"

"This is she. With whom am I speaking?"

"It's Theon...Greyjoy, you know...from school."

"Oh. Yes. How did you get this number?"

"Well, your brother gave it to me a while ago. And it's in the phone book."

"Right. Are you calling about the assignment?"

"Yeah. Can you meet after school tomorrow? I dunno...in the library?"

"I don't think so. All of my supplies are here in our craft room."

"Okay." Awkward silence.

"I suppose you could come over here."

"Or how about if you knit a couple of things and say that I made one of them?"

More awkward silence. "Um, no, I wouldn't be comfortable doing that."

Theon sighed. "Fine. What day works for you? We have a week before the assignment is due, I guess."

"How about Friday afternoon?"

Friday? He had planned on going to the football game. They'd have to work quickly so he could get the hell out of there.

"Yeah, that's fine."

"Okay, then. Bye."

“Later.”


	2. Chapter 2

Sansa put the phone back in its cradle. Theon Greyjoy. _He won't amount to anything._ That's what her mother used to say about Robb's best friend. Catelyn was relieved when Theon stopped coming around. But she did show some sympathy when he was in the hospital and urged Robb to visit him.  
  
Sansa mostly remembered Theon as an arrogant, gangly teenager who would come over and raid their fridge. He would complain about how there was nothing to do since Eddard Stark did not allow the children to play video games. If Sansa happened to be around, Theon would pat her on the head, call her scrawny, and tell her to bake him some cookies.  
  
But she had another memory of him that had stayed with her. It was from a party that one of Robb's friends threw his senior year. She'd begged Robb to take her. Joffrey Baratheon was going to be there, and he'd passed her a note the day before in Spanish class.

 _Coming  to Tormund's party? Sí o no?_  
  
It had taken some convincing, but Eddard and Catelyn had given them permission to go, so long as they were home by 11pm and promised not to indulge in any unruly behavior.  
  
Sansa hung around with Robb for most of the night, sipping on a can of soda, listening to bits and pieces of conversations, and nodding along like she could relate. As the night wore on, more and more couples were finding dark corners and making out. Others were stumbling upstairs, clearly inebriated and eager to go further than second base.

And then Sansa noticed Theon locking lips with someone...Ros - she recognized her bright red hair. He was kissing her so tenderly and expertly, Sansa couldn't help but feel a pang of envy - not because it was Theon necessarily but because she wanted to be kissed that way.  
  
Sansa felt herself blushing and looked away quickly as Robb waved his hand in front of her face.

"Sis! Hey! I need you to stay put. I'll be right back." He headed towards the kitchen to get something to drink and ran into Talisa, the foreign exchange student that he was planning to ask to Homecoming.

As luck would have it - or maybe not, as Sansa would soon discover - an already wasted Joffrey came in through the front door and found her immediately.  
  
His eyes were bleary and his speech slurred. He was talking about a recent archery tournament where he had come in second place. The more he went on and on about himself, the less interested Sansa was. She smiled at him sweetly, but her eyes darted around the room, looking for her brother or some kind of out.

Joffrey interpreted her silence as a sign that she wanted less talk and more action. He whisked her over to the closet by the stairs and planted a slobbery kiss on her lips. _Her first kiss._ Sansa was taken aback and also not sure how to respond. Then she was really caught off guard when Joffrey started pawing at her blouse and running his hands all over her. She tried to move away, but he had her pinned against the wall.  
  
"Joffrey, please -" The music was drowning out her protests. Where was her brother? Sansa began to panic as Joffrey continued to force himself on her, ignoring her obvious discomfort and grabbing her wrists as she tried to push him away.  
  
All of a sudden, she heard Joffrey curse, and she felt him being pried off of her. Sansa realized that someone was dragging him away. It was Theon. Ros was nearby, shaking her head and tapping her foot impatiently, as Theon roughly handed Joffrey over to Robb, who had just entered the room.  
  
Sansa was mortified and shaken. She wanted to run out the front door and never look back. Why did all of her friends think Joffrey was so wonderful? And why had she bought into the hype?  
  
Robb was yelling and shoving Joffrey, and the next thing she knew, Theon was leading her outside.  
  
"You need to get some air."  
  
"Okay." Sansa took a deep breath.  
  
"What were you doing with that loser?"  
  
Theon was close to her, and Sansa could smell alcohol on his breath.  
  
"I - I don't know..." She was trembling, so Theon put his hands on her shoulders, trying to steady her. He didn't know what else to do, so he hugged her.   
  
"Greyjoy! What the hell?"  
  
Theon whipped around to face Robb as Sansa remained by his side.  
  
"You're fucking welcome, Stark!" Now he was holding onto Sansa and trying to keep his balance.  
  
"Give my sister some space."  
  
"Yeah, I was doing you a favor, bro. Why weren't you looking out for her?"

"Shut up, Greyjoy! Just leave her alone."

Sansa was confused. Why was Robb being so hateful?

"Wait." Her fingers brushed Theon's arm before he could walk away. "Thank you."

He didn't turn around to acknowledge her and stomped back inside.

The next week in school, she'd seen him in the hallway and thought to say something, but he looked right through her as he passed by. He had probably been too drunk to remember what happened or too mad at Robb to care.    
  
And now, several months later and despite what he'd been through, Sansa could still detect a hint of arrogance, or maybe defiance. She had paid close attention to him since he started back at school. Theon had a fighting spirit but also seemed like a wounded animal at times, and there was something in her that wanted to make things better for him.

She had come to understand a little something about ridicule. After Robb had graduated, Joffrey didn't waste any time spreading rumors about Sansa being a tease. She was certain that he was behind all of the _Sansa Stark is a frigid bitch_ scrawlings on the stalls in the bathroom. 

Sansa wasn't quiet and standoffish because she thought she was better than everyone. Actually, she was struggling to fit in.   


	3. Chapter 3

On the drive over to the Starks, Theon cranked up the radio and relaxed into the driver's seat.

It wasn't as difficult as he thought, re-learning how to do some basic activities with fewer fingers. What had been more difficult was dealing with the whispers and stares from most everyone in town and the occasional memory from that night.

At least he didn't have to see Ramsay or any of his bastard crew at school. They had all been expelled. Theon was also facing expulsion, but his father had convinced Principal Baelish that Theon was the true victim. And there was plenty of evidence to prove it. Theon was now missing three fingers, and the others weren't.

It had pained Balon Greyjoy to admit that his son was weak, but he considered his youngest boy to be a lost cause anyway. In Balon's eyes, Theon was nowhere near as determined and capable as his older siblings. As usual, Balon failed to give credit where credit was due. What happened to Theon would have broken almost anyone. But Theon didn't let it. After months of healing and physical therapy and counseling, Theon shrugged his shoulders, slung his back-pack over his shoulders and walked boldly back into school.

And for what? So that he could learn how to knit...from a Stark.

He turned onto Winterfell Drive and braced himself for the wave of nostalgia to pass over him - riding his bike back and forth down this road, hanging out in the nearby woods, and generally feeling like he could be himself, even if Catelyn glared at him with the occasional raised eyebrow.

Theon pulled into the driveway and was greeted with a familiar earthy smell when he stepped out of his car. Compost. The Starks were big on recycling. At Christmas time, instead of buying a tree or chopping one down, they would find a nice sized fallen, tree branch and decorate it with lights and ornaments. He had to admit, it looked better than he would have imagined.

Theon walked up to the door and knocked loudly. He noticed a lone car parked in the driveway and wondered who it belonged to.

He heard scampering from the other side of the door, and then the door was flung open by an unkempt, rowdy girl of about twelve. "Yes?"

"Hello, Arya. I'm here to see your sister."

Arya looked back at him and responded with genuine enthusiasm. "Digits! Long time, no see."

^^^^^^^^^^

Theon stood awkwardly in the hallway while Sansa was blessing out her little sister in a loud whisper.

"Arya, his name is Theon!"

"Everyone at school calls him Digits."

"How would you know? You're in a completely different building!"

"Well, don't get mad at me. I didn't make it up."

Theon cleared his throat. It wasn't the first time he'd heard that nickname, and it wouldn't be the last. He did think it was kind of Sansa to stick up for him but unnecessary. Besides, he wanted to get this assignment over as quickly as possible, which meant breaking up this sisterly squabble. "Sansa, it's fine. The _squirt_ can call me whatever she wants to."

"Hey!" Arya protested. "That's not my name!"

"Well, that's what everyone calls you." Theon winked at Sansa before turning back to Arya. "Now, your sister and I have a project to work on. Can you make like a tree and leave?"

Arya rolled her eyes. "Wow. Could you be any more lame?"

"Arya!" Sansa was clearly exasperated with her sister, but Theon laughed to himself as Arya dashed down the hallway, leaving them alone. This was all feeling very familiar.

"Please excuse her. It's like she was raised by wolves."

"Guess I'm behind on the latest slang. You know, being out of the loop for several months and all."

Sansa looked down at her hands uncomfortably. "Right. I'm so sorry."

He regretted even bringing it up. The last thing Theon Greyjoy wanted was anyone's pity. "Why should you be sorry? You didn't do anything. Ready to start?"

Sansa brightened. "Sure. The craft room is upstairs."

"Is that the room that used to be Robb's personal gym?"

"Yes. That's right. You've been here before."

"A few times." Theon winked at her. "Are your parents home?"

"No, but Jon's here."

They were halfway up the stairs when Theon saw a dark figure, looming by the balcony.

"Hello...Theon."

Now Theon realized whose car was parked outside. Cousin Jon, who had mostly been in foster care until he was fifteen. The Starks finally took him in once Eddard found out that his estranged sister had died giving birth. Jon never had it easy, but he was too proud to ever take much from the Starks.

"Jon's baby-sitting while my parents are away for the weekend at Robb's fencing tournament."

"Picking up another odd job, Jon?"

"We weren't all born with silver spoons in our mouths.” Jon looked at Sansa. "I'm going downstairs to see what your brothers are doing. You two, have fun...knitting, is it? Just be sure to leave the door open. House rules."

Sansa's face turned as red as her hair. "Of course. C'mon, Theon."

"Just a second, please. I need to talk to Jon."

"Okay..." Sansa walked towards the craft room and peaked back over her shoulder, curious about what the two of them had to discuss. Theon waited until she was gone. 

"What is it?" 

"Did you get my note from a few months back?"

"Yes."

"Well, I wanted to say thank you again."

"Anyone would have done what I did."

"I guess...but thanks anyway. I'm sure it wasn't easy to testify against them."

"Just told the truth. Savages. How much time did they get?"

"A few months in juvie. And Ramsay's old man coughed up some money in the settlement."

"Hard way to earn a few dollars."

Theon gave him a half smile and started to walk away. A scream erupted from below. It was either Arya, Bran, or Rickon - someone was tormenting someone. 

He looked back at Jon sympathetically. "You too. Have fun."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh-oh! This started out as a Thansa fic, but now I'm thinking about making it more of a Thejon - or is it Jeon - fic. Lol!


	4. Chapter 4

Theon seemed distracted by something...

... _because he was thinking about seeing Jon again. He couldn't remember him being there that night, but Yara told him later that Jon was the one who called 911._

Sansa was deep in thought...

... _because she was wondering what Theon and Jon needed to discuss. Also, why did Theon and Robb have their falling out? Robb never would tell her._

They both sighed and smiled politely at each other. It was time to focus on the task at hand. Sansa began opening plastic bins and pulling out materials. "What color yarn do you want?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Okay. Here's hot pink."

Theon begrudgingly accepted the ball of yarn along with a pair of knitting needles. "Gee...thanks. Guess I'll knit something for Yara. She loves pink."

Sansa laughed. She didn't know Yara very well, but she could guess that pink was not her favorite color.

Theon flopped down on a bean bag chair. "What now?" He was really hoping that Sansa would just do everything for him. At least he'd shown up.

Sansa perched herself on a large pillow close to Theon, and she began wrapping and knotting the yarn around one of her needles. "Do you see?"

He nodded and had to admit that he liked watching how methodically she worked. Theon tried to mimic what she was doing as best as possible. It wasn't difficult to hold the needles, but looping the yarn confused him (and would have confused him even with a full set of fingers). He ended up with a tangled mess, which he handed over to Sansa to fix. This happened several times over the course of an hour, but she appreciated the smile he gave her along with each knotted disaster.

"Best to watch me for awhile," she told him.

After a few minutes of silence between them, Sansa must have felt more comfortable because she started prattling on about their Home Economics class and how Mrs. Mordane really did mean well. Theon was entranced with the motions of her fingers and paying less and less attention to what she was saying. His thoughts turned back to Jon...and Robb and even Ramsay, for that matter...

Jon and Ramsay had both moved to Westerville when Robb and Theon were sophomores at North. It was rare that Jon was around at the Starks' house as he picked up a job at a nearby pizza place. Jon was saving up for college and was the kind of person who refused to accept hand-outs. To further prove that point, Jon had moved in with his uncle Benjen after graduating from high school and paid him rent while attending community college.

Despite Jon's healthy work ethic, it took Catelyn a while to warm up to him. At first, she assumed that since he had been treated poorly growing up that he would be resentful towards his cousins and perhaps act out.

But he never did, and he never would. Robb knew his mother was being ridiculous and tried to include Jon in as many activities as possible - going to the movies with him and Theon, playing basketball, hiking to the woods and talking about girls or fucking (which only Theon could speak about from experience), or whatever came to mind.

And then there was Ramsay Bolton. He had visited his father a few times over the years, and after his mother passed away, he moved to town permanently. Despite being new to the school, Ramsay couldn't resist playing pranks on his fellow students. He seemed to take particular delight in pissing off Robb Stark.

Everyone knew that Ramsay's father Roose was still bitter about losing the Town Council seat to Catelyn, so it was no surprise that his son was not a fan of the Starks. He would leave bags of dog shit in Robb's locker or find ways to trip him during gym class. Coach Clegane turned a blind eye to Ramsay's shenanigans and would tell Robb to stop being so damn clumsy. When the Starks complained to Principal Baelish, he excused Ramsay's behavior as normal, adolescent mischief.

Theon hated Ramsay at first because of how he treated Robb, but he soon discovered that they had some things in common, particularly since Ramsay joined the archery team and was a skilled hunter. And they both desperately wanted their own father's approval but loathed them at the same time.

As for his feelings towards Jon, well...that was more complicated.

"Theon, you're not listening to me.”

He quickly turned his attention back to Sansa. "What makes you say that?"

"I asked you twice if you wanted to stay for dinner, and you just gave me a blank stare."

"Oh. Sorry." Theon looked at his watch. It was almost six o'clock, and he was getting hungry. His original plan was to leave early enough to find Ros before the football game. He had heard that she was fucking Joffrey Baratheon, and nobody deserved that misery, especially not Ros.

But now he wasn't in any hurry to leave. In fact, he was starting to remember what he liked about the Starks, in spite of all their eccentricities. They were a real family. He could already hear the clanging of silverware on plates and chairs being drug across the kitchen floor downstairs. Hell, if they had room enough for one more, maybe he would stay.

Once Theon said "yes" to dinner, Sansa's heart fluttered just a little bit. She liked being around him. Even if Theon wasn't particularly interested in knitting, he was nice company.

"Good. And don't worry, Jon's not cooking. It's pizza tonight."

"From Hot Pie's?"

"Yes. And promise me you'll start knitting your pot holder after we eat."

"Deal."


	5. Chapter 5

"That smells awful!" Bran turned his face away in disgust and let the top of the pizza box fall back down. "What are those gray shriveled-up things? I wanted pepperoni. Bleh!"

Jon laughed and shook Bran's mop of hair playfully. "Relax. We've got one of those too. And by the way, those gray things are called mushrooms."

"Well, who's going to eat that?"

"I guess it's for me?" Theon walked into the kitchen with Sansa. They'd heard the doorbell ring and come downstairs for dinner.

"It's your favorite, right?" Jon's eyes met Theon's surprised but appreciative look.

"Yeah, it is. Good memory."

Theon's mind drifted back to their junior year when Robb had starting dating Roslin Frey. Theon ended up hanging out at the pizza place where Jon worked. Anywhere was better than being at home - especially if Balon was around. Theon would order a pizza and do some homework if he felt like it, or play songs on the jukebox and maybe talk with Jon when things slowed down.

At first, it was awkward without Robb around since he was the common thread between them. But then they found a mutual interest in making fun of poor, lovelorn Robb and how hard he was trying to get Roslin to sleep with him...and failing miserably. Jon was much more serious and brooding compared to Robb, but over time, he started to let his guard down around Theon.

One particular night at the restaurant, Theon had just picked his favorite Radiohead song from the jukebox and returned to his table, where he found Jon waiting for him.

"Theon, let me ask you something."

"Okay. Go for it."

"Tell me. Why are you such a prick?"

Theon almost spit out his soda. "Have you been waiting a long time to ask me that?" He laughed it off, but he was actually interested in what Jon thought about him.

"You live in a pretty decent house, and your father gives you whatever you want, including that new car parked outside. You're fucking how many different girls and you still walk around like a miserable shit."

Theon couldn't help but smile. Yeah, Jon pretty much had him pegged. He usually operated somewhere between couldn't give a shit and entitled jerk. But somehow, he managed to be charming.

"What about you? I can't tell. Are you going for goth or emo?"

Jon gave him a slight smile. "Neither. Let's just say I have an interesting past, so it's easier to keep to myself."

"Hey, we all have our secrets. And if you ever want to talk -"

Just then, the bell over the doorway jingled, and they both turned to see who had come inside.

Jon piped up. "We're about to close." And then he grimaced when he realized it was Ramasy Bolton and his "boys."

"Oh, isn't this a shame. We didn't mean to interrupt your date." Ramsay and company roared with laughter.

Theon stood up and approached the group. "Fuck off, Ramsay." 

"We just wanted something to eat. How about it, Little Orphan Jon?"

"Like he said, the place is closing. Get here earlier next time." Theon was tired of Ramsay's antics in general, and he stepped in front of him, their eyes locking. The room was silent for a few seconds.

Ramasy put his hands up in the air innocently and started to back away. "Okay, okay. Calm down, Greyjoy. Guess we'll go somewhere else. Give you two some privacy." He started to walk towards the door and motioned for his crew to follow him. "See you girls later."

^^^^^^^^^^

Jon glanced over at Theon a few times from across the dinner table. He wondered if Theon was flirting with Sansa, or just being friendly. It was always hard to tell with Theon Greyjoy. He'd flash that smile, and you couldn't be sure if that was just his usual grin or if he meant something more.

Back when Robb had deserted the two of them for Roslin, Jon never would have imagined that he'd grow close to Theon. The guy didn't seem to take anything seriously. But Jon eventually realized that Theon had created a facade because deep down, he was afraid that no one truly cared about him. Well, maybe his sister, but that was it.

Still, Theon could make Jon laugh, and he always knew how to lighten the mood. His impersonations of Catelyn were spot on, and Jon couldn't help but enjoy them.

On Friday nights, even without Robb, they would meet in the nearby woods and drink themselves into a stupor. Theon's sister was willing to buy alcohol for them as long as they paid for hers too.

They always carried a blanket and flashlights and would find a decent spot to sit down and shoot the shit.  
  
"Alright, Jon...tell me the truth. Have you ever fucked a girl?"

Jon had to think about what to say for a minute. There had been a girl that he knew from his last school - Ygritte. She was beautiful and a little older, and she'd taken a liking to him, even suggested that they should have sex. But Jon wasn't really interested. First, he didn't want to risk getting her pregnant, and second, he just didn't feel that way about her. If he'd had any friends, they would have called him a "pussy" or a "homo" for turning down Ygritte. Hell, some of the other kids in his class called him those things anyway.

It wasn't until he met Theon that Jon began to understand what it meant to care for someone in more than a platonic way. And the more time they spent getting to know each other, the more he started to see Theon in a different light. Jon would catch himself watching Theon during Calculus class, the way he would furrow his brow when he was concentrating or furiously erase whatever he was writing in his notebook. Or when Theon was eating pizza, Jon would watch him take that first bite, burning his tongue every time and cursing the hot piece of pizza, instead of learning his lesson and just waiting until it cooled off. And then there were those times when he would spot Theon talking to some girl, his body usually pressed into hers against the lockers. Jon would surprise himself with feelings of jealousy...almost like how he was feeling now, sitting across from Theon and Sansa.

But he shook away those feelings and got up from the table abruptly. Everyone turned to look at him.

"What?"

"You're acting sullen again." Sansa had noticed that Jon was quieter than usual.

"Sullen? Is that your new vocabulary word for the week? Been listening to Fiona Apple?"

Sansa gave him a skeptical look in return, so Jon walked over and patted her on the shoulder. "Sorry. Just have a lot on my mind, I guess."

"You need a hobby, man. I've been telling you that for years."

Jon glared back at Theon. "Shouldn't you two be finishing up your assignment? It's getting late."

"That's true. Maybe I should just come back tomorrow?" Theon lifted his head onto the back of the chair and looked up innocently at Jon.

"Doesn't matter to me, but Sansa, you better ask your parents first."


	6. Chapter 6

Theon gave Sansa a sly grin as they walked towards his car. "Are they watching us?"

She looked at the window to see Arya's mouth pressed against the glass and Bran and Rickon next to her. "Seems like it."

"Jon too?"

"Hard to tell."

"What do you think they're hoping to see? A kiss?"

"Um, no! Well...maybe?"

"Then let's give them what they want." Theon moved closer to Sansa and picked up her hand, kissing the back of it.

She laughed and pulled her hand away.

"A thousand pardons, m'lady. I know how you value those hands of yours. You are quite crafty with the knitting needles."

"You're just saying that so I'll finish the assignment for both of us. Well, you can forget it. I'm onto you, Theon Greyjoy. You act like you don't know me...until you need me." She was saying all of this in a teasing voice, but she meant it too.

"Look, it's no secret that the Starks and I, present company excluded, aren't on the best of terms. But I have to admit, I had a lot more fun than I thought I was going to."

"Apparently. I hear you'll be back tomorrow. And maybe you can tell me why you aren't on the best of terms with the other Starks. And what's the deal with you and Jon?"

"You'll have to ask them, Sansa. Just don't believe everything you hear. Your brother Robb thinks I'm some sort of predator, but don't worry, I'm not after you." He touched her cheek lightly with his thumb and turned to go.

Sansa sighed disappointedly as she watched Theon drive away. "Too bad."

^^^^^^^^^^

 _Damn,_ he'd forgotten to leave a light on. _Oh well._ The moon was just bright enough for him make out the pathway to the house.

Theon walked quickly to the front door and let himself in. He didn't like to dwell on it too much, but in the back of his mind, he sometimes wondered if Ramsay was nearby lurking in the shadows, waiting to catch him and inflict more harm.

He flicked on the light switch in the living room and nearly jumped out of his skin when he realized he wasn't alone. "Yara! What the fuck?!?"

"Baby brother, I thought you'd be home later. Didn't you see my car?" Yara was on the sofa, straddling a woman of her similar stature with short platinum blonde hair, who had a look of discomfort similar to Theon.

"Um, hello. You must be Yara's brother? I'm Brienne." She pulled her hand out from underneath Yara's shirt and extended it towards Theon. He didn't move any closer but nodded towards her.

"I've heard a lot about you. Nice to meet you." 

Theon decided that he should probably just leave them to it, so he turned to go towards the stairs.

"Wait, Theon. Tell us about your hot date." Yara rolled off of Brienne and plopped down on the sofa. She patted the corner next to her. "Have a seat."

"No, thanks. I'm pretty tired. I was actually working on a project for school."

"Then why are you wearing the good cologne?"

"What are you talking about?" Theon sneered.

"I can smell you all the way over here. Brienne can too, right?"

"I think he smells nice."

"Yeah, thanks...but I'm gonna go now." Theon started up the stairs and didn't look back. Before he closed the door to his room, he could hear them laughing and whispering and figured they were making out again.

He kicked off his shoes, grabbed his discman and earphones, and laid down in his bed.

Theon didn't care if Yara had a girlfriend...or whatever they were. He just didn't want to see his sister "in action." Balon wouldn't approve, but it was probably Yara's way of being defiant towards him without rubbing his nose in it.

Besides, there were other things weighing on his mind. Like Jon. Theon hadn't expected to see him at the Starks. Jon hadn't changed much. Seemed a little older, maybe, but he still had those deep brown eyes and somber demeanor.

Theon remembered a conversation they'd had in the woods about Jon's past and why he seemed to carry an eternal sadness. He'd told Theon about his life before coming to Westerville...

"My time with my foster families wasn't so bad. It was when I lived with my grandfather and my uncle that I had a hard time. It was until I was about six. I don't remember a lot, but I know I had to take care of myself...and sometimes the two of them. They were heavy drinkers, and one night, they were smoking pot, and one of them forgot to put out his joint. Nearly burned down the house with all of us inside. I remember waking up to the smell of smoke and trying to find them. I was scared out of my mind. They were outside on the ground, perfectly safe, and they didn't seem to be at all concerned about me. My grandfather ended up being charged with negligence. That's why I went to foster care."

"Sounds like a lot for a little kid to deal with."

"They never came to see me, never tried to get me back. Then my grandfather was arrested for setting fires all over town. It was like he’d lost his mind. To this day, I don't understand why I have such a fucked up family."

Theon looked at Jon sympathetically. "How did you find out about Eddard and Catelyn?"

"My aunt Dany had been abroad but came home to visit. When she found out what happened, she contacted Social Services and suggested they try to get in touch with my mom's family. Dany didn't think she could handle the responsibility of raising me. Sometimes I wonder what that life would have been like. Or even better, what if my parents were alive. Uncle Ned talks about my mother like she was an angel. I wish I could have met her."

Maybe it was the way that Jon sounded so lost and yet optimistic at the same time. Or maybe it was because Theon felt the pangs of loss of his own mother. But he wanted Jon to know that he wasn't alone. Theon pulled himself up on his elbows and looked at him.

"What?"

"I don't know. But there's something I have to do."

He leaned in and slowly grazed his lips over Jon's open mouth. Jon sat up quickly and touched his fingers to his lips, as if he was trying to understand what had just happened. Then he smiled at Theon.

"How did you know?"

"Know what?"

"That I wanted you to do that?"

"Oh...I dunno, I guess-"

And then it was Jon who surprised Theon by pulling lunging at him and kissing him deeply and hungrily. As Theon kissed him back, Jon pushed his body into Theon's and caressed his neck, moving his hands up and down his back.

But all of a sudden, Theon was pushing Jon away and turning to retch into the grass. Jon sat over to the side, mildly horrified to see that Theon was throwing up.

He wanted to ask Theon if he was okay, but he was too embarrassed. Jon felt sick himself, and everything was spinning. "I'm sorry, Theon. I better go."

Before Theon could respond, Jon was running out of the woods and towards the house, leaving Theon by himself.

Right after Calculus class that next Monday, Theon was able to corner Jon in front of his locker. "What the hell? Why'd you run off? I tried calling you this weekend."

It was true. Theon had called once and asked to speak with Robb or Jon. But neither of them were home, so he'd called back five or six times and hung up when Jon didn't answer.

"I guess that was you who kept hanging up?" Jon had his face turned towards his locker, and he wouldn't turn to meet Theon's gaze.

"Yes, that was me. But don't tell Catelyn. So...about Friday...I think I had too much to drink."

"Sure, stuff happens when you're drunk. No need to explain. I have to get to work."

Jon started to walk away, but Theon grabbed a hold of his arm. "Wait."

And then Theon felt two hands grip his shoulders from behind.

"Why are you two acting so serious?" It was Robb. Jon took that as an opportunity to leave. "No reason. See you guys later."

Robb watched his cousin slunk down the hallway. "Why is he so angsty? You've been spending a lot of time together. Having a spat? Do I need to mediate?"

"No. Everything's fine. Where's your arm candy?"

"Roslin? She's home sick today."

"I'm surprised you're not with her right now, trying to nurse her back to good health."

"Yeah, I guess we've been pretty inseparable lately. Sorry I haven't made time for you."

"No worries. I've been busy, you know, with archery practice. Are you in?"

"No, my parents want me to focus on my studies this quarter. I have enough athletics for my college applications."

"Well, good for you buddy. I've gotta run." Theon wanted to get out of that conversation before Robb started talking about senior year and how Theon should aim higher than community college. He just wasn't in the mood for a lecture since he got enough of those at home.

Theon glanced outside and noticed Ramsay Bolton hurrying towards the practice field, so he started sprinting towards the locker room. He'd have to try to catch Jon later. 


	7. Chapter 7

Theon bolted upright in his bed and looked around the darkened room to locate the neon light of his clock. 1:06AM. He heard a car starting up outside and peaked through the side of his window. It was Yara's car. Probably taking Brienne back to campus. Or maybe they were going out for a late night snack.

When he got up to go to the bathroom, Theon felt a wave of dizziness, and his legs gave out from under him. He landed on the floor by his bed, and his leg brushed against something hard - his bow case. He hadn't looked at it in months nor had he wanted to. It was a just reminder of his life before.

Theon thought back to that day of archery practice from junior year when Ramsay Bolton had started buttering up to him for some unknown reason. If only Theon hadn't been so naive.

The weather was almost perfect that day, not too warm and not too sunny. Theon sauntered onto the grass and made sure to pick a practice bale that was as far away from Ramsay as possible. He knew that Ramsay would try to psyche him out by making derogatory comments. They were usually homophobic remarks about Robb or Jon.

Mr. Tully walked over to greet Theon, patting him on the back. "Good to see you, Greyjoy. You and Ramsay are going to help us get to the state tournament this year. I just know it."

"Sure hope so, Mr. Tully. I mean, Coach Tully." It was hard for everyone on the team to remember that Mr. Tully was their coach. He had the right attitude, but he was a terrible bowman. Theon almost felt sorry for Mr. Tully, given that he was Catelyn Stark's younger brother and was always in the shadows of his more revered older sister. Theon could relate.

After grabbing an arrow from the floor quiver nearby, Theon opened his bow case, revealing a brand new bow that he had recently charged to one of Balon's credit cards. This was his first time using it, and he knew it would take at least a few practices to break it in.

Theon got into a rhythm with shooting arrows, even if he was several inches from the bullseye with his first attempts. It was a relief to think about something other than how he might have fucked things up with Jon.

He was so focused on hitting the center circle that he didn't notice Mr. Tully telling everyone to pack up for the day.

"Greyjoy. Last man standing. I'll leave the equipment out for you. Get Ramasy to help you put it away. See you tomorrow."

At the mention of Ramsay's name, Theon released an arrow and watched it fly wildly over the target.

Ramsay was just a few feet away from Theon with his arms crossed smugly over his chest. "Do you want me to collect that arrow for you?" 

"No. Thank you. I'll get it. I think I'm finished for the day."

"I'll walk with you. Not sure how far it went."

Theon didn't really feel like protesting since Ramsay seemed determined to hang out with him, but he was suspicious nonetheless. "Can I help you with something?"

"Me? If anything, I could give you a few pointers...especially about your stance. I remember how good you were last year. Seems like you're lacking confidence now."

"Not at all. Just breaking in my new bow."

"Yeah. I'm sure it's hard to walk through the halls of the school and pass all of those cases of trophies with your siblings' names engraved on them. I haven't seen a single one with _Theon Greyjoy_."

"I'm impressed, Ramsay. I didn't even know you could read."

"Funny. Asshole."

They had now spotted the arrow, which was sticking out of the ground near the basketball court. Theon walked over to it and pulled the arrow out. "Here." He gave it to Ramsay.

"So? You'll think about it?"

"What?"

"Coming over to my house. So we can get in some extra practice."

"Yeah. Sure. I'll think about it." _Like hell, I will,_ Theon thought to himself. He sprinted ahead of Ramsay to collect his things and be on his way. If Ramsay was so interested in helping, he could put all of the equipment back in the storage shed.

^^^^^^^^^^

It was after archery practice that Theon decided to finish his unfinished business with Jon. He went to grab a shower first, glad to wash away the eeriness of his encounter with Ramsay. And he wanted to smell nice, of course. Knowing that Jon would be working late, Theon drove over to Hot Pie's so that he could catch Jon alone.  
  
"Hey! How did you get in here?" Jon looked up from washing dishes and wiped the side of his face with his shoulder. Theon noticed a smudge of tomato sauce on his other cheek.

"Jiggled the back door until the lock gave way. You should really talk to the owner about having it fixed."

"Yeah, I guess so. Listen, I have to finish closing and then I still have some homework. What do you want?"

"Jon, I...well. I want...you." Theon grinned sheepishly and started walking towards Jon, but he stopped when he noticed a look of doubt spread across Jon's face.

"Likely story, Greyjoy. Are you running out of girls to fuck? Or are you just glad that you found someone with a more pathetic backstory than your own?"

Theon cringed. He was genuinely bothered by Jon's continued distrust. "Is that what you think of me? Is that what you think this is?"

"I don't know. What is this?" Jon looked angry, and he peeled off the bright yellow gloves he was using to wash the dishes.

"Well, for starters, you're more than just someone I want to fuck."

"Look, you don't have to do this. Why would you want to be with someone who you find revolting? Kissing me made you hurl."

"I told you that I drank too much the other night. But I'm not drunk now, am I?" Theon pushed Jon away from the sink and pinned him against the wall. He figured that Jon could easily overpower him, but he had a feeling that he wouldn't.

Theon pressed his body into Jon's and kissed him on the mouth. When Jon seemed to relax into the kiss, Theon lifted his hands to the back of Jon's neck, pulling him closer and running his fingers through Jon's thick black curls.

"There. Do you believe me now?"

Jon smiled and let out what seemed like a happy and relieved laugh. "Yeah...I do. I just didn't think that you would...you know..."

"Well, I didn't know that I would either. But you're special, Jon. You're different from anyone I've known."

Jon looked down for a second and then lifted his eyes to meet Theon's gaze. He couldn't help mauling Theon again, kissing him fervently, pushing his tongue into Theon's mouth, and digging his fingers into his back.

Theon knew in that moment he had convinced Jon of his true feelings. He wasn't sure what would happen next. Would they keep things a secret? And how far would Jon want to take this? Theon figured Jon was still a virgin, but hell, this was new territory for him anyway. Better not to worry now. They'd figure it out later.


	8. Chapter 8

Yes, back before everything got fucked up, Theon and Jon were pretty happy. They had started as mere acquaintances with Robb as the only thing they had in common and then developed an actual friendship, which turned into something more. Hell, it had to be love. Theon didn't say it out loud, but he felt it. Theon had never _cared_ for anyone the way he cared for Jon. He felt like Jon made him a better person.

When they weren't hanging out on the weekends - sometimes at their spot in the woods or at indie music festivals - Theon would go with Jon to volunteer at the food pantry because, of course Jon somehow found time to volunteer on top of his work and school obligations. And Theon might as well have gotten a job at the pizza place as much as he was there and would stay late with Jon to wash the pots and pans and mop down the floors. He wanted to help Jon get home earlier to stay on top of his homework, but they'd usually end up in Theon's car, making out for hours, before he'd drive Jon to the Starks.

Theon didn't dare invite Jon over to his house. Not because he was ashamed but because Balon was known to keep odd work hours, and Theon didn't care enough about his father to give him the pleasure of knowing anything about his life. Theon would tell Yara about Jon eventually, but for now, he was enjoying the thrill of their secret relationship.

Even though they had been dating for several weeks, Jon was still fairly cautious when it came to their physical relationship. Theon didn't want to push anything too fast, but he wasn't going to deny that he wanted more. Truth be told, he wanted to be Jon's "first."

Theon decided he would talk to Jon about it after his birthday dinner. Jon was turning seventeen, and Eddard had invited the whole family out to eat at the Riverlands Family Diner. Robb brought Roslin, so Jon brought Theon as a family friend. While everyone chatted and ate their meals, Theon noticed several odd looks from the family. It was probably because he and Jon seemed to be in their own little world, so he made a point to talk with Sansa, who was seated next to him. 

"What's new in the eighth grade? Excited about high school next year?"

"I guess so. I've been studying for mid-terms lately. Nothing too exciting."

"You should go out more. Try to meet up with some other kids. You're only young once."

Sansa nodded politely, and Theon figured that was the extent of what they could talk about. Sansa was usually quiet and quite the rule-follower.

He turned his attention back to Jon, who was shy about all of the attentive but appreciative to have family and friends that cared about him.

After cake and a hearty round of "Happy Birthday," it was a little awkward when Jon refused to let Ned and Catelyn pay for his birthday meal. But Theon nudged his leg under the table. Jon needed to relax more and trust that people cared about him.

They were all walking out of the restaurant, and Theon attempted to whisper to Jon that he wanted to meet up with him later, but Robb inserted himself between them and pulled on Jon's arm.

"So, after I take Roslin home, I'm taking you, Jon, to the movies. We haven't been in a while, and you need a night of fun. What do you say? My treat."

"Yeah, okay. I mean, Theon and I were maybe going to..."

"I know. I hate to break you two up for a night, but I haven't seen much of Jon lately, and we need to catch up. You understand. Right, Theon?"

 _No_ , Theon didn't understand. What was Robb's deal? He'd been blowing off the both of them for awhile, so why couldn't they all go out like old times? Eh, since it was Jon's birthday, he really didn't feel like starting anything. He'd have to save his present for Jon for another day.

"No problem. I'll see you guys in school. Happy Birthday, Jon. Glad I could join you."

"Yeah, uh, thanks for coming with us." Jon looked at him with an apologetic smile. Theon decided to hide his disappointment since it wasn't Jon's fault.

"I'll get your present to you later. Let me go thank Ned and Catelyn for dinner. Catch you guys later."

^^^^^^^^^^

Maybe it was cheesy as fuck, but Theon didn't care. He loved how he could do no wrong in Jon's eyes, including being a doting boyfriend if he wanted to be. So he'd left an envelope in Jon's locker with a note telling Jon to meet him in the woods and to bring the chocolate bar that he'd included in the envelope. 

"Theon?"

Theon turned around from his locker to the familiar voice. "What's up? You got my note?"

"I did. What time do you want to meet? Gendry's gonna work for me tonight. Belated birthday present."

"That's great. More time for us." Theon smirked. "Eight o'clock?"

"Okay. See you then." Jon started to walk backwards down the hall as if he couldn't take his eyes off of Theon, running into some students who were behind him.

"And don't forget the chocolate bar."


	9. Chapter 9

It was closer to seven when he arrived at their spot. Theon wanted to get everything ready for Jon. He stoked the campfire and glanced at his watch multiple times. After what seemed like an eternity, he heard the rustling of leaves and spotted Jon maneuvering through the branches to reach the clearing. It wasn't quite dark outside, and Theon noticed how handsome Jon was, even in a plain white t-shirt and jeans.

Jon smiled when he saw Theon waiting for him and pushed a stray piece of hair behind his ear. But then his smile faded. "What's with the fire?"

Theon had gotten up and was approaching Jon when he realized that Jon was scowling. 

"Oh, shit! Fire? I'm such a dumbass. Your grandfather. Do you want me to put it out?"

Jon snapped out of his trance and shook his head. “No, it’s fine. As long as you’re not going to induct me into some sort of cult.”

Theon let out a relieved laugh. "Um, no. It recently occurred to me that you may not have experienced what we cultured folks like to call a s'more, which requires a reliable heat source. Did you bring the chocolate?"

Jon nodded and reached into his back pocket for the chocolate bar, chuckling at the fact that Theon Greyjoy had just referred to himself as cultured. 

"A _s'more_ , you say? Not familiar. Educate me, oh refined one."

“Yeah, there’s nothing really refined about a s'more, but they taste damn good.”

Theon pulled a bag of marshmallows and a box of graham crackers out of his backpack. He had also picked up an array of sticks and shaved the bark to form pointy tips at the ends. Theon gave one to Jon.

"Ah, for roasting something?  

"Exactly. These." Theon yanked open the corner of the bag of marshmallows and dug out two for each of them. He threaded his stick and waited for Jon to do the same. 

"Now, some people - impatient types - will shove their marshmallows into the fire to get them soft as quickly as possible, but the marshmallows just end up burnt. I prefer a slow roast."

"And the chocolate?"

“You'll see.” Theon balanced the stick on his knees and opened the graham crackers and chocolate bar. He took out some plates and readied the components.

While they waited for the marshmallows to turn the right shade of brown, Theon and Jon chatted about the dinner from the night before and the various birthday gifts from the Stark children.

"Sansa made a tie for me. The little ones drew pictures, and Robb treated me to the movies, as you know."

"What did you see?"

" _Scream_. Robb nearly pissed himself."

"He's not really into the slasher genre, is he? Let me guess, the virgin survives?"

"Can't spoil the ending." Jon cleared his throat as if he didn’t want to discuss it any further and held up the marshmallows for Theon to inspect.

"Not too bad for your first time. Now, here's the best part. You take the graham cracker and scrape the marshmallows onto the cracker. Then add half of the chocolate bar and the other graham cracker half to make a sandwich. And then you enjoy."

Jon looked puzzled, so Theon followed his own instructions and placed the melty s'more on a plate in front of Jon. "Happy Birthday."

"Thanks." Jon crunched into the s'more, and some of the marshmallow and chocolate oozed out of the sides of the cookie sandwich. 

"Do you like it?"

Jon mumbled a "yes" as he was finishing off the last of his s'more, his hands now gooey and sticky. "I hope you brought enough chocolate to make more." 

"You mean, some more? They're so good, you want _s'more_. Get it?"

Jon groaned and rolled his eyes. "I was going to ask you why it's called a s'more. Stupid name, but very delicious. Thanks, Theon."

"Here. I'll give you the one I just made. We can make s'more later."

"Okay. Enough. I get it. You can stop...but...hand it over."

Theon moved so that he was sitting next to Jon and watched him devour the treat. His mouth was covered in chocolate and marshmallow, and Theon couldn't resist kissing Jon and playfully licking away the remnants from around his lips. Jon sighed contentedly. "Best birthday present ever."

"Actually, I was hoping to give you something else. If you'll let me..."

"Oh?"

"I know this will sound like a line, but this means something. This...you and me. And I want to show you."

Theon slowly traced his hand down Jon's chest and stopped for a second over the button of his jeans. Then he let his hand fall lower.  

"What do you think?"

Jon paused and looked into Theon's eyes. "Let's see what you have in mind."

He grabbed a hold of Theon's hand, pressing himself against it. Theon was expecting an actual discussion or at least some mild protest, but Jon seemed ready to take things further. 

Theon leaned in to kiss him again, long and hard. He tugged at Jon's t-shirt and pulled it over his head, pausing to admire Jon's smooth skin and sculpted chest. He'd probably seen Jon without a shirt on in the locker room, but this was different since he was the one undressing Jon.  

Theon climbed on top of Jon and with his mouth, found a nice comfortable spot in the crook of his neck to suck on. Jon moved beneath him and pulled Theon's shirt over his shoulders and neck, smiling broadly as he tossed it aside.

It occurred to both of them to make sure that neither of their shirts had landed too close to the fire and that they weren't in danger of rolling into it.

"Maybe we should move over there."

Theon didn't wait for Jon to respond. He grabbed Jon's hand and pulled him up, leading him over to a nearby tree, leaning into him and straddling Jon against the tree.

Theon pushed his lower body against Jon's, both of them conscious of the other's arousal. As they were kissing, Theon moved his hands from behind Jon's back to drag his fingers slowly over Jon's chest. He pressed his own chest against Jon, unbuttoning and unzipping his jeans. Jon tried to do the same to Theon, but Theon wouldn't let him. "I want to concentrate on you." Theon slid his hand underneath the waistband of Jon's boxers and then downward. He felt the shudder that ran through Jon's body as he made contact.

This was a first for Theon, well, probably for both of them, but Theon only had experience pleasuring a few girlfriends and...himself. He figured from the look on Jon's face, his low moans, and the way he moved in tandem with every stroke of Theon's hand, that Jon was having a good time.

Theon grasped Jon more firmly and moved his hand faster and faster, biting into his neck, and then plunging his tongue into Jon's hungry mouth, darting it in and out, wondering if he was on the brink of climaxing. And then Jon cried out. Theon felt a familiar warm liquid between his fingers.

Jon smiled and rested his head on Theon's shoulder, his rapid breathing beginning to slow. He put his arms around Theon, who was warm to the touch despite the coolness of the evening. The fire continued crackling a few feet away from them, providing enough light to see each other's faces.

"I'm sorry." Theon looked embarrassed.

"What for?"

"I wanted to give you more."

"You gave me plenty."

"I don't know what I'm doing."

"Seems to me like you do...now it's my turn."

Jon grasped onto Theon's arms and backed him against the tree.

"Shit, Jon. This isn't very comfortable. Why didn't you say something?"

"Give it a minute. You'll forget." And then Jon kneeled down in front of Theon and proceeded to unbutton his pants and swiftly pull everything down around his ankles.

"Wait. What are you doing?"

"I wanted to see it in its full glory. Everyone talks about it at school."

"Jon, I..." Theon was turning red, which he rarely did.

"Relax. It's magnificent." Without warning, Jon took him in his mouth, all of him, and Theon moaned so loudly that the Stark's dogs - from more than a hundred yards away - began to bark.

Jon looked up at Theon and smiled and continued with what he'd started until he'd worked Theon up to climax. Theon could barely contain himself, pulling Jon's hair and writhing around like a madman. Jon pushed his fingers harder into Theon's buttocks and waited until he was sure Theon was finished before releasing his mouth. Theon immediately crumpled to his feet, weak from the unexpected pleasure, probably the best he'd had in his life.

He drew Jon's face to his and pressed the tip of his nose against Jon's. "That was amazing. How did you know what to do?"

"Well...I might have read a few things."

They put their lips together, a perfect fit.

When Jon turned suddenly to look at the fire, Theon followed his gaze to where Robb was standing at the edge of the clearing. He was staring at them with a look of confusion and horror.


	10. Chapter 10

Jon sipped on his coffee, relaxing in the stillness of the morning. Part of him missed living amongst the chaos of the Stark house. Then again, as long as he could visit, he usually had enough on his plate not to miss it too much.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs. It was a light plodding, so he guessed Sansa. He was right.

"Morning, Jon." Sansa's hair was loose around her shoulders, and she was wearing a matching nightgown and robe. Jon thought she would have opted for a t-shirt and shorts by now, but that was Sansa - forever a girl.

"Sleep well, Miss Sansa?"

"Yes, I did. Although I stayed up late knitting." She said this between a yawn or two while opening cabinets and pulling out various boxes and bags – flour, sugar, baking powder, chocolate chips.

"Expecting company today?"

"Oh, you mean Theon? Yes, I need to call him. Mother said he could come over again to finish our assignment. But he can’t stay too late. They'll be back around ten tonight."

"Right. Tomorrow's Sunday. Maybe I'll take the kiddos to the park while your guest is here."

"Don't you want to chaperon?"

"No need. He won't try anything."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Trust me."

^^^^^^^^^^

It was the strangest feeling to go from being deliriously happy to absolutely miserable. But it had all happened in the blink of an eye. Jon remembered stepping in front of Theon as Robb came flying towards them from around the other side of the campfire.

"What the fuck is going on?"

Jon was still blocking Robb's path to Theon while Theon quickly fastened his pants and readied himself for a possible fight, maybe even tried to provoke one. "Depends on how long you were standing there, Robb."

"Long enough."

"So it was your first experience with a blow job?"

"Fuck you, Greyjoy!" Robb tried to climb over Jon. "Let me go, Jon. He can't take advantage of you like this. Theon and his sexual escapades. Trying to fuck everyone so he can to fill some void in his life."

Theon spat back at him. "Don't psycho-analyze me. You've got your own issues. Besides, I didn't force Jon. We've been seeing each other for a while. Maybe if your head wasn't so far up your own ass or trying to get into Roslin's pants, you would have realized."

"Roslin told me that you've had sex with half her family. Even Fat Walda."

"I didn't force her either. She told me she didn't want to be a virgin anymore!"

"You're a slut, Theon. You see, Jon? He doesn't care about you. He just goes wherever his dick leads him."

Jon had been quiet, embarrassed, and unsure of what to say, but he finally spoke up. "That's enough."

"You're just another notch on his belt."

"Enough, Robb!" Jon pushed his cousin back, and Robb narrowly avoided tripping into the fire.

"Watch it! What are you thinking? This isn't who you are. This is _his_ influence. My father won't survive a scandal like this."

Theon started to move towards Robb now, and Jon had to lift his arm up to hold Theon back. "What scandal, you close-minded prick?"

"Both of you. Just stop. I've known you long enough to realize when you're having a pissing contest, and I don't intend to get in the middle of this one."

Jon put his hand on Theon's shoulder and turned to Robb. “You're wrong about Theon. Look, I understand that this is a shock to you, and I appreciate you being protective of me, but  _you_  interrupted  _us_. I need you to go to the house, and we'll talk later."

"Jon, this is bullshit..."

"Just go, please."

"Fine. But you better think long and hard about this. And if you're not home in 10 minutes, I'm coming back with my dad."

"You heard the man. Bye, Robb."  

Robb stuck his middle finger up at Theon and finally turned to leave. Theon walked in the direction of where Robb had left and listened for the sound of footsteps departing until he was sure Robb was gone. He turned back around to face Jon.

“Thanks for defending me. You know that only half of what people say about me is true. Maybe less.” Theon bent over to pick up their shirts and handed Jon’s back to him.

“Yeah. I know. Geez, I didn’t think Robb would be so opposed to us. Then again, I didn’t plan on him finding out this way.” Jon sighed. He had already retreated into his mind and was deep in thought.

Theon inched closer to Jon and noticed his furrowed brow and crossed arms. “He’ll get over it. And we’ll be okay…"

It was a few seconds before Jon responded. “Of course. Listen, I better get going. Are you okay to clean up? I'm sorry that our night was ruined."

“It wasn’t a total loss, you know.” Theon uncrossed Jon’s arms and put his arms around him. He kissed Jon lightly, and Jon pressed his forehead against Theon’s.

“We'll talk soon."

Theon backed away and nodded reluctantly, worry starting to spread across his face.

As Jon trudged back towards the house, pushing through branches and stumbling over roots in his path, he was hit with a wave of fear mixed with anger and desire – fear that what they were doing was a mistake, anger at Robb for being so quick to judge them, and desire to return to Theon, instead of leaving him alone with very little reassurance. But instead he proceeded home and went straight to his room, where he was greeted with a lecture from Robb.   


	11. Chapter 11

Robb had thrown every argument in the book at him. He'd urged Jon to think about the impact their relationship could have on the family and Ned's position in the community as a prominent minister. He'd threatened and cajoled and thrown a fit, and the most Jon would do was tell him he'd think it over. Jon wasn't sure if Robb was opposed to the idea of two men being together, or if he was just uncomfortable with the idea of Jon and Theon being together. He still seemed traumatized from whatever he'd witnessed in the woods. Or Jon wondered if maybe he was a little jealous.

Jon had always thought of the Starks as being generally accepting of people who were "different." He couldn't imagine Ned being angry with him. And as much as Jon didn't like to see Robb upset, it bothered him that his cousin might have a problem with the person he loved.

For the rest of the weekend, Robb watched Jon like a hawk, but when Monday came around, they went their separate ways at school. Jon kept expecting to run into Theon, but he was nowhere to be found. Was Theon worried about not hearing from him since Friday? Jon was relieved when he found a note from Theon in his locker. _Meet me after school. My house._

But how to get there? He had mostly come to rely on Theon for rides, and a watchful Robb was going to be dropping him off at work after school. Jon would have to borrow Gendry's bike and ask him to cover part of his shift.

Robb was quiet on the way to Hot Pies and finally spoke when they arrived at the parking lot. "Greyjoy was mostly out of sight today. I wonder how long that will last."

"Why are you being so hard on him?"

"I just don't think the guy has much going on. He doesn't have any ambition. He's lost."

"He's your best friend."

"Maybe it's time for a change."

Jon shook his head in disbelief and started to open the car door. Robb reached across the seat and put his hand on Jon's arm. "Hey. I only say this because I care about you. Don't make things harder for yourself. You've been through enough already."

Jon didn't reply as he closed the car door behind him and went straight inside the restaurant to find Gendry. As soon as he could break away, Jon took off for Pyke Street.

^^^^^^^^^^

He had been over to Theon's house once or twice. It was fairly large but not very welcoming. The curtains were drawn in all of the windows, and the front yard consisted of patches of dead grass and overgrown flowerbeds. Jon wasn't sure which door to use since the walkway to the front door was lined with tall weeds, so he rode over to the side of the house, leaving the bike against the faded wood siding. He knocked lightly on the kitchen door.

After a few seconds, the door opened, and Jon recognized a face that was not Theon's, but it did have similar, more feminine features.

"He's been expecting you." And then the voice was followed by a screech and what sounded like a scuffle, and Theon emerged from behind the door while he was simultaneously pushing someone out of the way.

"Hi, Jon. Meet my obnoxious sister Yara." He let Yara pass in front of him, and she managed to wave at Jon and punch Theon in the stomach at the same time.

"You two stay out of trouble."

Theon doubled over for a second, but then he managed to grab Jon's wrist and whisk him inside, pulling him around the corner and up a set of stairs. All of the lights were off in the house, although Jon could still make out rooms and dusty furniture and mostly wood paneling everywhere. When they finally landed in what he figured was Theon's room, Jon needed a second to catch his breath. Theon locked the door behind them and wrapped his arms around Jon tightly.

"I'm glad you're here."

"I can't stay too long."

"Why?" Theon studied Jon's face to see if he had something serious to tell him.

"My boyfriend couldn't give me a ride over here, so I had to borrow Gendry's bike, and I promised to hurry back."

"Oh." Theon's serious expression turned into one of relief after hearing Jon still refer to him as his boyfriend. He led Jon over to his bed, then sat down next to him and wove his fingers into Jon's hands. "Thanks for coming over here. I didn't want to deal with seeing Robb today."

"Yeah, about that. What's going on with you two?"

"Hell if I know. He's just been different ever since he's had a serious girlfriend. Old man Frey has high expectations for his daughter's suitor, I guess."

"Seems like there's more to it than just Roslin."

"I don’t know then. People change. They grow apart. Besides, I think seeing you and me together sent him over the edge. It was the last piece of evidence he needed to write me out of his perfect life."

"You two are gonna have to work your shit out one of these days."

"Maybe. For you." Theon pushed Jon back and rolled on top of him, pinning his arms behind his head. He bit Jon's bottom lip slightly and proceeded to kiss him on the mouth while slowly pushing his shirt up. "Can you stay a little longer?"

Jon made a noise that sounded like a "yes" as he arched his head back, sighing deeply while Theon moved his lips over Jon's chest and stomach.

Theon started to unbutton Jon's pants. He pulled them down over his hips, along with his boxers. "I want to see your face...when it happens." Then he went to work with his mouth, looking up occasionally to watch Jon's expression and the way he pursed his lips to keep too much sound from escaping. He watched Jon begin to lose control, his hands gripping Theon's hair, and his hips thrusting faster and faster. He held Theon's gaze until he couldn't help but close his eyes and be consumed by the wave of pleasure pulsating through his body. Gods, this was the way it was meant to be.


	12. Chapter 12

Over the next few weeks, Jon simply avoided the topic of Theon with Robb. And he mostly avoided Theon at school, save for the knowing glances in the hallways as they passed each other between periods. And then there were the secret meetings at Theon's house. Balon had been traveling lately, so the Greyjoy complex was just as good a place as any to rendezvous. And they had Yara to keep watch.

Theon seemed to be enjoying their secret affair, but Jon was beginning to feel guilty about blowing off work and what he considered to be lying to his family. He eventually came to the conclusion that they should seek Ned's council about their relationship. Theon disagreed.

"You can talk to him if it will make you feel better, but we don't need anyone's approval."

"But we do need their support. Our relationship...it's not common around here."

"We don't have to stay in Westerville forever."

"I know. But I'm tired of sneaking around...like we're doing something wrong."

"Well, technically we are. Since we're not married."

"And I'm tired of pretending with Robb. Let me talk to my uncle. I need to be honest with him."

"Fine. Let me know how it goes. But I'm telling you, you might be messing up a really good thing."

^^^^^^^^^^

Jon knew that Ned kept office hours on Saturday for any of his parishioners who needed guidance. Instead of trying to talk privately with his uncle at home, Jon decided to stop by the church and not elicit worry or suspicion from Catelyn. He figured that Robb may have already told his father anyway since they were so close, but if he needed to come clean with anyone, it was his uncle Ned.

As Jon neared the main office, he could hear muffled voices and the sound of a woman sobbing. The door to Ned's office was cracked, and Jon knew he should turn around and leave, but something in the woman's voice and his uncle's reassuring tone made him stay and listen.

"But he's my only grandson."

"He'll find his way. Don't worry."

"I suppose I should love him no matter what."

"Of course. He needs you now more than ever. He's confused, maybe he's even being manipulated. Renly's older, isn't he?

"Yes. I just thought that Loras would outgrow this nonsense by now."

"Let me tell you what, Mrs. Tyrell. If my son was to try to pull this, I'd be just as upset as you. I'd do everything I could to understand why he was putting himself and his family through this nightmare. If you need me to reason with him -"

Jon knew exactly who his uncle was talking about. Of course. Loras Tyrell. He had graduated a year after Jon started at North. There were still occasional rumors floating around about his sexuality. His younger sister Margery didn't seem too phased as she was very popular and self-assured and wildly protective of her brother.

As Jon slowly walked away from the office, stunned and disappointed, he could hear the words "unnatural" and "sinful" being thrown around by his uncle. He wanted to throw up. Yes, Ned was devout and dedicated to his profession, but Jon had always thought of his uncle as compassionate and understanding before anything else.

Jon left the church, his shoulders hunched inward, and shakily climbed onto his bike, weaving around on the pavement but eventually making it home. He went straight to his room and shut the door, hoping that no one would disturb him. His mind was racing, his heart pounding as he sat on the floor, his face buried in his hands. What was he supposed to do now?

It dawned on him that the question of one's sexuality had really never been a topic of conversation at the Stark dinner table. And why would it? The Starks didn't pay attention to issues that were foreign to them. And now here was Jon, an outsider already, an anomaly to how they saw the world. No wonder Robb had reacted so harshly. It was as if he couldn't fathom the idea of something outside of the norm. And now knowing that Ned was the same way, Jon felt hopeless. He figured that he was going to have to end things with Theon...at least for the time being.  

The thought of having to break up with Theon made him sick to his stomach. Jon spent the weekend in his room, wrestling with his thoughts around who would come out least damaged in all of this. And in the end, he decided that fitting in with the Starks and not making waves was the best thing for him. Or was it more for them?     

^^^^^^^^^^

Theon had cornered Jon at school to tell him that he was being a coward. Jon agreed in theory, but once he'd made up his mind that the stakes were too high, he decided to cut off all ties to Theon. It wasn't easy because everything reminded him of Theon - places they'd spent time together (pretty much everywhere), music they'd listened to, and even...chocolate.

But Jon already had plenty of experience with putting other people's needs before his own, especially if it was family. He had vowed that he would "do the right thing," at least until he'd finished high school and could be on his own. That was part of the reason he'd moved in with his uncle Benjen after he graduated. Because if it wasn't Theon, Jon hoped to find love one day. As much as Robb had tried to push different women on him, he just wasn't interested.

Jon was mostly devastated but partly relieved when he discovered that Theon had found other ways to occupy his time - archery, of course, and Ros. And Theon even had the nerve to come to the pizza place with Ros a few times when he knew Jon would be working. It was probably Theon's way of letting Jon know he was moving on.


	13. Chapter 13

"Hurry up!" Jon called out to his younger cousins as he finished getting ready. He had packed a lunch and wanted to leave for the park before Theon arrived to work on the school assignment with Sansa.

It had been good to see Theon again. Jon was relieved he was doing so well after that ordeal, but he figured that Theon was long over what had happened between them. It's just that Jon was realizing that maybe _he_ wasn't.

Jon grabbed his wallet from the dresser and paused to pull something out of one of the pockets - a memento that Theon gave him a week or so before Jon had decided to end things. It was one afternoon when they were in Theon's room, lying together in bed, when Theon opened the drawer of his nightstand.

_"Here. This is for you."_

_Jon lifted himself up from the pillow and reached out his hand to receive the small item. It was a piece of fabric in the shape of a circle with colorful stitching._

_"Thanks...I think. What is it?"_

_Theon laughed. "It's a merit badge that I earned in the Iron Boys Club. My father made me join, said we come from a long line of Iron Boys. I got that badge when I learned how to build a fire. I know, again with the fire. But I thought you might find it funny."_

_Jon smiled warmly and wrapped his fingers around the badge. "It'll remind me of our time in the woods. Tell me more about the Iron Boys. I wasn't part of any clubs growing up."_

_"It was outdoorsy stuff. Some boating and fishing. I wasn't too keen on either of those, which disappointed my father. I liked hunting and exploring in the woods. We should go camping sometime. I'd watch out for you."_

_Theon was tracing his finger along the side of Jon's face and twirling a few of his dark curls._

_Jon swatted Theon's hand away playfully. "I can take care of myself, you know."_

_"Yeah, but you should let somebody else do that for a change."_

Oh, Theon. Jon felt partially responsible for what Ramsay did to him. If they hadn't broken up, maybe Theon wouldn't have gotten mixed up with Ramsay and his shitty friends.

"Jon?"

Jon shoved the merit badge back inside his wallet and slowly turned around.

"Theon. Hey. Sansa should be downstairs."

"Yeah, I know. She told me to move my car so that you can get out. Why are you leaving? Because I'm here?"

"No, of course not. Just thought the kiddos could use some fresh air."

Jon smiled politely and started to push past Theon, who was standing by the door frame. Theon blocked his way.

"I don't believe you."

^^^^^^^^^^

Towards the end of junior year, Theon had surprised Jon by giving him one more chance to change his mind. It was the night of their junior prom, and Jon had predictably decided to have nothing to do with the dance, although he agreed to work in the kitchen at the restaurant, knowing that there would be plenty of his fellow students stopping in for a late night snack.

Robb was taking Roslin and going with a bunch of her sisters and their dates. Jon figured that Theon would either be taking Ros or skipping the adolescent ritual altogether. It wasn't so long ago that the two of them had joked about going to the prom together and finding a dark corner to share a dance or two.

Jon watched through the order window as the various couples came inside to grab a bite after the prom. He was pleasantly surprised to see Sam and Gilly from his art class together and mildly disgusted when he spotted Ramsay Bolton with the local veterinarian's daughter, Myranda. But Myranda always did seem to look for trouble.

He thought Robb might stop in to check on him, but as the hours passed and the crowds thinned, Jon was ready to close up and go home. He started to gather his things when he heard a familiar rattling coming from the back door, so he went to open it.

His heart skipped a beat when he saw that it was Theon on the other side of the door. He looked handsome and polished in his tux - a rental, no doubt, but it fit Theon's frame nicely. And the black bow tie - Jon had never seen Theon looking so put together and well...so adorable.

He opened the door wide enough for Theon to pass through. "If you're hungry, there's nothing left. I was about to leave for the night."

"No, I'm fine."

"Something to drink?"

"I'll fix myself some water."

"Where's your date?"

"I took Ros home. She was pissed. I'm sure she'll find an after-party somewhere. Why didn't you come?"

"I think you know why."

"I saw Robb. Looked like he and Roslin were arguing for most of the evening."

"Dunno. We don't talk about it that much."

They continued to stand a few feet apart, making small talk about the Starks and school and if Balon was still being an asshole - which he was.

"Theon...it was really nice of you to stop by. I've missed you." Jon regretted the words as soon as they'd left his mouth. They were true, but no point in picking at a fresh wound.

"I'm glad to hear you say that. Sometimes I wonder if I just imagined what happened between us." Theon stepped towards Jon then stopped when he noticed Jon retreating. "Anyways. I guess I'll get going."

Jon opened his mouth to protest. He couldn't get any words to come out.

"Um, before I go, could you do one thing for me?"

"Probably. Maybe."

"Don't laugh though...dance with me?"

Jon couldn't tell if he was kidding or not. "I don't know, Theon. I'm actually a pretty terrible dancer."

"I'll pick a slow song. You can let me lead. C'mon. It doesn't have to mean anything."

Jon nodded as if he'd just been convinced to take on a dare. Of course it would mean something. He lifted his faded apron over his head and pushed his hair behind his ears as he always did when he was nervous or excited. Jon followed Theon into the dining area. All of the lights hanging over the tables were dimmed, and Theon headed straight to the jukebox, his two quarters ready. Jon already knew which song he was going to pick.

As the breathy intro and first few notes of the song started to play, Jon thought about bolting for the door. There was no way he was going to be able to turn off his feelings.

But when Theon approached him with that look of mischief mixed with a bit of uncertainty, Jon had to oblige him. He relaxed into Theon's arms and encircled his own arms around Theon's waist, resting his chin on Theon's shoulder.

"You had to pick the most depressing song, didn't you?"

"Of course. Just for you."

They ended up not really dancing so much as holding onto each other and moving slowly around the space. Neither of them spoke for a few minutes.

"How's everything going with the archery team?"

"Great. Coach Tully wants us to keep at it over the summer break. You should give it a try."

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm spending the break with my aunt Dany."

"Needing to get away from it all?"

"I guess. She's done really well for herself. She's married and has a little boy. It'll be nice to connect with the only sane person on my dad's side of the family."

"That's great."

Jon could feel the disappointment in the way that the energy in Theon's body changed. The song wasn't over, but Theon had stopped moving.

"I lied, you know."

"About what?"

"I did come here to try to change your mind. I really wish you'd reconsider." Theon nudged Jon's ear with his lips and whispered to him. "We can just keep things between us."

"Theon..."

"I know, I know. I'm not supposed to ask."

"I'm sorry. I wish I didn't care what everyone else thinks. I wish I was more...like you."

"Like me? I care. Believe me, I care. But you mean more to me than them."

Theon straightened his back and started to move away. "Listen, I won't ask you again. I thought maybe if I left you alone for a little while, you'd realize that you needed me...but I was stupid."

"Left me alone and started fucking Ros." Now Jon sounded angry and hurt.

"You Starks. You always have to be so upright and moral and better than everyone else."

"I'm not a Stark."

"You might as well be."

"Theon, you don't have to -"

"Hey, you have a great rest of the year and summer break too. I'll see you around." Theon stomped back to the kitchen and slammed the door to the outside behind him. And then Jon knew it was over for good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hated to break them up...again.
> 
> P.S. The song that Theon picks on the jukebox: "Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley.


	14. Chapter 14

Jon felt a strange sensation pass through his body when his shoulder collided with Theon's. It had been months since they'd had physical contact. He could tell that Theon wasn't going to budge from the doorway anytime soon by the look on his face. "What gives, Jon?"

"If I take the kids out, you and Sansa can finish your project in peace."

"What about house rules?"

"I'm just trying to give you some space."

"Yeah, you're really good at that."

Jon sighed. "I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say."

"C'mon. Is that the best you can do?"

"Look, if you want to talk, let's find another time...and place."

“Fine. We can meet at the park. Tomorrow night? Around ten?”

As Jon responded with a nod, they both heard someone coming up the stairs. Theon put his finger over his lips. Seconds later, Sansa arrived at the top of the landing with a plate of cookies in her hands. She had a puzzled expression on her face but then quickly shook it off. 

"Fresh baked cookies? Just out of the oven. Jon, I left some downstairs for you to take to the park."

They responded in unison. "Thanks." 

Theon turned to grab a cookie and let Jon pass by. Jon waved good-bye and went to round up Arya, Bran, and Rickon from their rooms.

After taking a deep breath, Sansa smiled at Theon. "Ready to knit?"

"I guess."

^^^^^^^^^^

"Did you work on this after I left?" Theon ran his fingers over the almost-finished bright pink scarf. He was trying to take his mind off of his somewhat tense encounter with Jon. 

"I decided to be nice. But I left you a few rows." 

"Thanks. Can I watch you again for a while?"

"Yes. And you can entertain me with a story. I get to pick the topic.

"Okay, fair enough."

"You and Robb - what happened? Or you and Jon? Equally mysterious."

"Nice try. I told you that you'll have to ask them."

"Well then...what can I ask you about? Um...let's see. Maybe...your accident?" Sansa looked towards Theon's hands but then bit her lower lip, wondering if she should have kept that request to herself.

"I don't really like to talk about it."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I just wanted you to know that I think you're really brave, and I care about...I mean, I feel bad -"

"It's fine. It just reminds me of how stupid I was to think Ramsay was my friend. He's one sick dude."

"So I've heard."

"I'm sure there were all kinds of rumors floating around about that night - I was high, it was my idea, I deserved it."

"No. No one thinks that."

"Depends on who you ask."

"None of my friends think that. Of course, I don't have too many friends to speak of. Ever since Jeyne moved away."

"And what does Robb think? Or Jon?"

Sansa looked at him slyly. "You'd have to ask them yourself."

^^^^^^^^^^

Theon couldn't remember how or why or when he actually started giving Ramsay Bolton the time of day. It must have been towards the very end of junior year, after they had faired so well in the state archery tournament, and Ramsay had seemed genuinely pleased for Theon and their success. And there was the fact that Theon was pretty lonely, having lost his best friend and his...Jon...all in a matter of months. Ros had occupied a good bit of his time until they were on the outs. That was fairly typical of their relationship - hot and cold.

Since Jon was away for the summer, Theon went back to hanging out at the pizza place, and Ramsay would meet him there. At least they could talk about archery or video games or even how much they detested their workaholic and basically absent fathers. Sometimes they would hang out at Ramsay's swankier house and get drunk and smoke pot and joy ride around town. It was stupid and dangerous, but Theon just wanted a way to kill the time and not have to feel anything. He didn't really care who he was with or what he was doing. 

By the time senior year rolled around, Theon had resigned himself to community college or going to work for his father. Ramsay had considered dropping out of high school, but Roose promised to buy him a new car if he graduated. They both signed up for shop class with Mr. Seaworth, history with Mr. Baratheon, basic chemistry with Mr. Qyburn, and fine arts with Ms. Crane - a fairly easy load, which meant Theon rarely came in contact with Robb or Jon since they were in more advanced classes.

But sometimes Ramsay was too much. When school started back, Ramsay became possessive and clingy. He was none too pleased when Theon got back together with Ros again, and he showed his disdain by pranking Robb even more than usual. That was the one thing that Theon would never do when Ramsay had suggested it - torment Robb. Sure, Robb had turned out to be kind of a closed-minded, judgemental douche, but Theon had too many fond memories of his former best friend to go along with Ramsay's antics. 

In a matter of a few weeks, Ramsay had slashed Robb's tires, broken his car windows, and spread a rumor about Robb still being a virgin. Acutally, it wasn't really a rumor, but it was mean-spirited. Robb and Roslin had broken up over the summer, and as far as Theon knew, Robb had never gotten any. 

And then Ramsay started in on Jon. It was like he knew somehow that Theon had feelings for Jon. He would steal Jon's bicycle or get his cronies to take Jon's clothes from the locker room while he was showering after gym class. Dumb stuff, petty stuff. Theon was starting to see Ramsay's true colors, or what he had probably known all along but overlooked, and he regretted the fact that they were spending so much time together.

There was something so broken about Ramsay. Theon almost pitied him at times. He could feel Ramsay's resentment towards his parents pouring out of him whenever they talked about their families. Ramsay almost sounded like he blamed his mother for becoming sick and dying and abandoning him. Maybe Ramsay was fearful that Theon would abandon him too.  

And for some reason, it never dawned on Theon that Ramsay would take out his bitterness, his insecurities, and his anger on him. But then he did, and it was worse than Theon could have ever imagined.


	15. Chapter 15

Ironically, the night of horror happened on Halloween. It was a far cry from how Theon had spent the previous Halloween, hanging out with Jon at the pizza place, watching the various customers come in for dinner, kids in tow, anxious to start collecting candy. That had been at the start of what was one of the most meaningful relationships Theon had known. Now Jon avoided Theon even more since he had befriended Ramsay. Guilty by association.

To help take his mind off the past, Theon had gone over to Ramsay's house for the evening. He figured there'd be enough debauchery going on to distract him. It was Ramsay and a few of his friends - or followers - whatever you wanted to call them. Upon moving to Westerville, Ramsay had surrounded himself with a few of the ne'er-do-wells of North High. He didn't really seem to care about them as people, but they worshiped Ramsay (and his father's money). Myranda had joined the fan club too.

Theon was lounging on the sofa in Ramsay's basement, drinking cheap beer and listening to Nine Inch Nails, grateful the music was drowning out the inane conversations that Ramsay was having with Bones and Damon. It was probably close to ten o'clock when Ramsay had the brilliant idea to toilet paper the trees in the front of the high school. Theon knew he should have called it a night. He had finally gained some respect at the school for his success on the archery team and was flying under the radar in his classes, so why risk getting suspended if they were caught?

But someone must have called him a pussy, and Theon decided to go along. They piled into two cars. Ramsay and Myranda grabbed the backseat of Theon's ride and off they went. Thankfully, there were no trick-or-treaters out and about since Theon wasn't exactly sober. He could hear what Ramsay and Myranda were up to, and against his better judgment, he glanced at them through his rear view mirror. They were gnawing on each other's faces, and Ramsay opened his eyes to meet Theon's gaze. Shit. Theon shuddered and turned his attention back to the road ahead.

They were the first to arrive at the school. Theon parked in the side lot and started to gather the rolls of toilet paper from the passenger seat.

"Leave it, Theon. Let's go inside. I'm sure there's a classroom or two we can fuck up."

"I don't know, Ramsay. I'm not up for any big adventures tonight." But Ramsay was already out of the car, opening the driver's side door and pulling on Theon's arm.

"I've got a treat for you. It's Halloween, isn't it? C'mon." Ramsay nodded in the direction of the school, and Theon reluctantly followed him out of the car.

"Myranda, wait here for the others, and tell them the new plan. Come find us inside."

Myranda looked pissed about being left alone. She stomped her feet on the ground, mumbling something to herself. Then she yelled, "Fine!"

"Shhh!" _Great_ , Theon thought. _Ramsay's psycho girlfriend is going to get us all suspended._

"Just ignore her. She doesn't deserve any treats tonight. But you do."

What was he talking about? Theon thought for an instant that he should get the hell out of there. Hot Pies wasn't too far. He could go over for a quick slice. But then Ramsay held up a small plastic bag that looked interesting.

"What is that?"

"Shrooms. You're gonna love them."

^^^^^^^^^^

The others were running through the hallways, banging on lockers and screaming at the top of their lungs, but it sounded like a symphony to Theon. He closed his eyes and watched the colors flashing behind his eyelids - reds and oranges. When he opened his eyes, the darkness was swirling in front of him. Then a pair of soft lips brushed over his face. Jon?

"What are you doing here?"

"I've been here the whole time."

Then the lips were moving over his lips and a tongue was pushing inside his mouth. He felt a body next to him and hands that were moving all over him.

"I see you haven't forgotten about me."

Theon moved so that he was on top, running his hands over the stubble on Jon's face, looking for those dark eyes that would stare back into his soul. But he was met with a pair of cold, icy blue eyes and then he realized that the lips he was kissing were thin and colorless.

Ramsay's mouth curled at the corners in a triumphant smile. "I knew you wanted me." He started to unbuckle his pants.

Theon lurched backwards onto the floor, hitting his head on the hard tile. "Fuck!"

"My pet. I didn't mean to startle you. We can go as slow as you want." Ramsay was closer now, and Theon managed to sit up and move backwards until he bumped into a metal cabinet. Then he remembered they were in Mr. Seaworth's classroom. Theon had eaten the shrooms while Ramsay was looking for a way into the school. There was a partially open window near the gym, so they'd climbed inside and pulled all of the basketballs out of the locker room, wildly throwing them at the hoops and laughing uncontrollably. Theon didn't remember whose idea it was to come to the shop classroom, just that they were both working on carving bows in class, and Ramsay had wanted to show their work to the others.

Now Ramsay was staring at him, watching him and waiting for him to respond.

Theon rubbed the back of his head. "Shit. Did I black out? Everything is spinning."

"Good. Then it's working. The more relaxed you are, the more you will enjoy this."

"Enjoy...what?"

Ramsay was approaching Theon, loosening his pants and letting them drop below his knees. He stood in front of Theon and looked down at him expectantly.

What was happening? Theon didn't want this. He didn't want any of this. He turned his face to the side.

"No."

"You're being coy. How adorable. Should I be more polite? Should I ask nicely?"

Theon felt woozy, but he managed to push past Ramsay's legs and crawl in the other direction.

"I do like games, but we don't have that much time."

What a nightmare. Theon's head was throbbing. "Look, I'm really flattered, but I don't feel that way about you."

"Oh?"

"I mean, you're a friend. I don't see us, this...going anywhere." Theon's vision was blurry, and he was trying to make out where Ramsay was standing.

"Yeah, sure. You're a cock tease, I get it. All these months of coming onto me? And you'll fuck faggy Jon...but not me?" Ramsay sounded really angry...or was it hurt? Wait, how did he know about Jon?

"What are you talking about?"

"Really? You two dipshits, forgetting to lock the front door of the restaurant. And leaving your car parked out in front? Real fucking discrete."

"But the door. The bell? How did you - why were you watching us?"

Silence. And then he knew he was in trouble as Ramsay came down on him, tightening his hands around Theon's throat. "Because, I wanted you, you dumb fuck."

Theon was trying to breathe and shift away from Ramsay. He was kicking his legs and clawing at Ramsay's fingers clamped around his neck. Then suddenly, Ramsay loosened his grip and leaned in close to whisper into Theon's ear.

"Well, I'm hard now. And you're gonna have to do something about it. The least you can do is jerk me off." Ramsay stood up, towering over Theon. "And if I have to tell you again, your fucking boyfriend will suffer. Fuck, both of you will. And guess who will find out about your love affair first? Why, dear old Pastor Ned...and then the rest of the town."

Theon rolled over on his side and was trying to catch his breath. "I don't care...who you...tell."

"No, but you will care when I fuck up your pretty boy's face. Those pranks I've been pulling? You ain't seen nothing yet." Ramsay stood smugly with his arms crossed, tapping his foot and raising an eyebrow in anticipation of Theon's next move.

"You can't hurt him."

"Oh, but can't I? Who's going to protect him? Robb? You?" Ramsay began laughing manically. "You know my crew. We'll destroy him. Poor little orphan Jon."

Theon was shaking, trying to make sense of what was happening, of what he was about to do. He pulled himself up from the floor, realizing that this was the most trapped, the most miserable he had felt in his whole life. Yet he was now allowing Ramsay to take his hand and push it beneath Ramsay's boxers.

As he wrapped his fingers around Ramsay, Theon cringed and closed his eyes, fighting back tears. Ramsay let out a low moan and began rocking his body back and forth, leaning his head against Theon's shoulder and whimpering with every stroke. "Yes. That's...more like it."

Theon tried to imagine that he was anywhere else, but Ramsay made it impossible as he began to dig his fingers into Theon's arms and call out his name. If Ramsay would just hurry up and finish and then Theon could get the fuck out of there.

He could sense that Ramsay was close, so he stroked him harder and faster, and Theon's anger with the situation began to boil over. "So you like that, you sick fuck? Forcing me to do this? Well, you better fucking enjoy this -"

And as Ramsay's whole body started to shake, Theon felt a brief sense of relief as his thoughts turned to being able to leave. Then he felt the presence of someone else in the doorway, and he froze. Ramsay's crew.

Theon wanted to push his way past them and get out of there - if he could just make it to the hallway. But his feet weren't moving with his body, and he stumbled to the ground. Ramsay was now doubled over, panting and shaking his head.

"What the fuck is this?"

"Why'd you let this fag touch you?"

Theon looked up at their silhouettes. He couldn't see their faces, but he heard the disgust in their voices. Before Theon could get a word out, Ramsay spoke up.

"He forced himself on me, said he'd tell Roose about all the drugs I've been doing if I didn't let him touch me."

Myranda sneered. "I told you he wanted to fuck you. And you said I was just being jealous."

"No!" Theon cried out. "That's not what -"

"I think he needs to be punished."

"Fuck yeah, he does."

Theon tried to wake himself up. He had to be dreaming. This couldn't be happening. Or maybe it was the shrooms. Yes, he was having a bizarre reaction to the drugs. Why had he taken them from Ramsay? So stupid.

He started pleading with the others to listen to his side of the story, but they were all looking at Ramsay as if awaiting a signal for what to do next.

Theon saw Damon and Myranda pass by him while Bones stood blocking the doorway. And then he heard a whirring sound. He recognized it immediately, and wanted to throw up. It was the table saw that Mr. Seaworth wouldn't let any of them use without his supervision. What was Ramsay going to do with it? Maybe saw his bow in half?

"He molested me with those fingers. I say he loses them."

No, Ramsay couldn't possibly mean that. He was kidding, trying to scare Theon. This was all an elaborate joke.

But that didn't stop Theon from pulling himself towards the door. Unfortunately, he was picked up by a few pairs of strong hands and dragged by his feet closer to the shop table. He called out for help, kicking and screaming, but now one of the bastards had his legs pinned together and the other was pushing him towards the saw with assistance from Ramsay.

"Myranda! Gag him!"

"With what?"

"Use his socks."

And then he felt a small pair of hands yanking on his shoe laces. He wriggled his feet madly and tried to kick her fingers away.

"Hey!" Ramsay lunged at Theon and squeezed his face between his hands. "Be nice." He felt his head being pulled back violently by his hair while a knotted piece of fabric was shoved in his mouth and tightened around the back of his head.

He squirmed and thrashed as much as he could until someone hit him on the back of his head and dragged him closer to the saw, placing his hands down on the table. He heard yelling over the screeching sound of the blade. "Watch out for your own hands, idiot!"

Theon tried desperately to move his fingers, to push himself away from the table. But then he felt a blinding pain in both his hands that shot through his arms and then his whole body. And then more voices as he slumped to the ground, moving in and out of consciousness. Worse than the pain was the smell of charred flesh. Theon brought his throbbing hands to his face as he felt a warm gush of liquid running over his knuckles.

"Shit, that's a lot of blood!"

"Are we gonna get in trouble for this?"

"Maybe he won't remember."

"One thing's for sure. He'll think twice about fucking with you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got some sound advice from a_song_of_slash_and_ire to make this chapter a little darker. It was difficult to make Theon suffer more, so I'll just have to make the ending of the story extra happy.


	16. Chapter 16

Uncle Ned called to say that he and Catelyn would be home in a few hours and that Robb had done well in the fencing tournament. Jon made dinner and set up a movie for the younger Starks to watch, but Sansa had opted to remain in the craft room.

So Jon assembled a tray of food for her and took it upstairs. When he arrived outside the door, he could hear Sansa crying. He sat the tray down and knocked lightly before opening the door. "You okay?"

Sansa wiped the corners of her eyes and looked up at him with a forced smile. "Yeah. I - I guess so."

"What is it?" Jon went quickly over to where she was seated and knelt down beside her.

She tried to compose herself, but she could only answer him in phrases. "Poor...Th-Theon. I just...how could anyone...do such...a thing? Monsters!" Sansa put her face in her hands and continued weeping while Jon patted her on the back.

"Let me get you something to drink. Hold on." He grabbed the glass of water from the dinner tray and told her to take a deep breath and small sips. "Sansa, what has you so upset? You've known about what happened to Theon for a while."

"Yes...but when Theon...told me himself...about that night-"

"Wait. Why was he talking to you about that?"

"Well, I asked him. And...it's just that Ramsay...had basically...well...you know...forced himself on Theon...and when his buddies found out, they all...punished Theon."

Shit. Jon had wondered as much. He had kept his distance from Theon after their break-up, but he had detected a growing infatuation on Ramsay's part towards him. A lump formed in Jon's throat. He had never been able to get the exact details on what happened, although he had been tempted more than once to make Ramsay pay for what he'd done to Theon.

"Jon...why didn't you or Robb try to help him?"

"What do you mean?"

"You were such good friends, the three of you. And even after Robb started spending all his free time with what's-her-name, you and Theon were as thick as thieves. So why did he start hanging out with Ramsay?"

"Oh...well...it's complicated."

"Not with guys. You have an argument and then punch each other, and you get over it."

Jon almost smiled. Maybe it was that simple in some cases but not this one. "I don't know how to explain it, Sansa. Theon made those choices himself. But believe me, I feel very sorry about what happened. It haunts me to this day."

^^^^^^^^^

The night air was refreshing after a long and busy shift. Jon was content riding his bike home that Halloween night. Robb had made some half-hearted gesture to swing by for him, but Jon knew that he wanted to spend as much time as possible with his new girlfriend Talisa.

As Jon neared the high school, he heard voices coming from the parking lot. And he could tell immediately that something wasn't right. He stopped his bike and set it down in a ditch, crouching down and moving quietly until he was behind the entrance sign to the school and not visible to the group gathered.

"So, do we leave his car? What if he crawls down here and tries to drive somewhere to get help?"

"Not our problem."

Jon recognized that commanding and conceited voice. Ramsay Bolton.

"What if he bleeds to death? That could be our problem."

"He's a smart kid. Sorta. He'll figure something out. Besides, the weekend cleaning crew will find him in the morning. What's important is that we stick to our story. It was his idea to break in. We left him fucking around in the shop classroom, and he must have had an accident. He was drunk and high, after all."

The others nodded along, and as Jon surveyed the parking lot, he noticed two cars, one of which looked like Theon's. He was trying to tell if Theon was part of the discussion. But no, Theon wasn't one of the people climbing into the other car. And had Jon heard them right? Someone was bleeding to death?

Jon waited until the car peeled down the road before he approached the parking lot. His heart was beating faster as he confirmed that it was Theon's car, recognizing the kraken figurine hanging from the rear view mirror.

_"What's with the squid?"_

_"It's a family thing. Weird, I know. But my dad...and his love of the sea."_

Jon pulled a small flashlight from his back pack and passed it along the windows. Nothing looked odd, other than several rolls of toilet paper on the passenger side. But it was unlike Theon to leave his car sitting around idly. Jon decided to look around the school grounds, and as he got closer to the side of the gymnasium, he thought he could hear a low moaning...or was he imagining things? Better to check it out. Finding the open window, Jon hopped inside and shined the flashlight around. There were basketballs everywhere but no sign of Theon.

And then he heard the moaning sound again, only a little louder, and he rushed down the hallway, trying to determine the source but also afraid of what he was going to find.

As he rounded the corner towards the shop classroom, Jon realized that whoever was moaning was also crying, and even before he flipped on the overhead lights in the room and saw the floor covered in blood, Jon already knew that it was Theon who had bore the brunt of Ramsay's latest cruelty.

Jon pushed through his feelings of fear and rage as he knelt down beside Theon to try to figure out the source of his bleeding. Theon was pressing his hands into his shirt.

"Where, Theon? What is it?"

Theon stared back at him, almost in disbelief, but managed the words "my fingers." And then Jon noticed the trail of blood coming from the table and the blade of the saw also caked in blood. He wanted to kick something or punch his hand through the window, but he knew that he had to focus.

"I'm going to call an ambulance. I'll be right back."

"No! Don't leave me!" Theon's words stirred an emotional reaction from Jon, and he couldn't hold back tears. He didn't want to cause Theon any harm by moving him, but his feet wouldn't let him leave. He returned to Theon's side and gently stroked his cheek.

"Theon. I just need to go down the hall to the office. You're going to be okay. But I can't move you. I don't want to hurt you."

Theon nodded very slightly, and Jon darted down the hallway to find a phone and call 911. He gave them as much information as he could think of and returned to Theon's side as soon as he hung up.

Theon's eyes were barely open, and Jon did as the operator had told him and pulled off his own shirt to apply more pressure to Theon's hands. Theon cried out in pain, so Jon maneuvered himself so that he could cradle Theon in his arms while continuing to put pressure on his hands.

As they waited for the ambulance to arrive, Jon repressed a familiar sense of panic and dread. It was the kind of feeling he had only experienced one other time, when he had escaped from the fire at his grandfather's house and wanted to go back to make sure everyone else was okay. Now that he had found Theon, he could only pray and hope that Theon would survive this.


	17. Chapter 17

"Baby brother!" Yara burst into Theon's room without so much as a knock and pounded him on the back.

"What do you want?" He stared back at his sister through the mirror on the dresser and resumed combing his hair.

"Saw your light on, thought I'd say hello. Dad's downstairs, you know."

Theon nodded at her and rolled his eyes. "Where's your lady love?"

"Who? Brienne? We're taking a break."

"What a shame."

"Well, aren't you in a good mood? At least you smell nice. But it's a school night. Who are you going to see?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Oh. Him."

Theon zipped up his jacket, turning away from her.

"I thought you were done."

He continued to ignore Yara, pulling up the shade of his window and starting to unlock it.

Yara grabbed his wrist. "Why? He hurt you before."

"I guess I just want some closure."

"I think you got that already. He turned you down...twice, was it?"

"I just want to ask him about what happened that night...when he found me...and afterwards."

"What for? You've moved on. You don't need to dwell on that."

"I think it will help."

"So you're a shrink now?"

"Might as well be. I've seen enough of them."

Theon was now lifting the window and preparing to climb out. "If he asks, tell Balon I went out to get you some cigarettes."

"Theon." Yara said his name in a stern tone, but he was unphased.

"Thanks, sis."

^^^^^^^^^^

Theon arrived at the park and immediately spotted Jon on one of the swings. He walked over to him and saw a flicker of relief pass over Jon's face and then a warm smile. This felt much better than their recent encounters at the Stark house.

Jon gestured towards the empty swing next to him. "Have a seat."

"Here?"

"Why not?"

Theon shrugged his shoulders and sat down, slumping into the swing and lightly grasping the chains on both sides.

After a few minutes, Jon spoke first."I could have picked you up."

"That's true. When did you get a car?"

"Right before I started college. I figured it was time. My aunt Dany gave me some money for graduation. So did Ned and Catelyn."

"Good for you. You deserve it."

They smiled at each other briefly, feeling comfortable in the silence. Mostly.

"Mr. Mormont drove by earlier."

"Who?"

"The guy who does the Night's Watch, the group that keeps the neighborhood safe. He's asked me to join a few times, but I'm too busy."

"Yeah...but maybe they could use your help. I mean, you were sure there for me when I needed you."

Jon looked down at his lap. "Gods, Theon. That was one of the worst night's of my life, and I guess I sound like an asshole saying that since it happened to you."

"I try to pretend that it didn't happen. But I have this permanent reminder." Theon held up his hands and sighed. The police never did recover his severed fingers. Ramsay probably chucked them in the woods nearby or kept them somewhere as a souvenir. Sick bastard.

"Theon...I hope you know...if there was anything I could have done to stop him..."

"I know. Hell, if I had only realized the level of his depravity..."

"If I ever see him again..."

"But Jon...I don't want to talk about him anymore."

"Okay."

"I need to know something from you...why didn't you come to see me? At least at the hospital."

"I did...I was there the whole night and after your surgery. When your family arrived, they asked me to leave."

"Oh."

"And then I came back the next day. So did Robb. You told us to get the fuck out of your room."

"I was probably delirious."

"I know. That's why I went back again the next day."

"And?"

"And Ros was there along with a bunch of your ex-girlfriends. It was like they all had Florence Nightingale syndrome. I couldn't have seen you if I wanted to..."

"C'mon, Jon. What about when I was recovering at home?"

"I called and came over. Yara said you didn't want to be bothered, especially by me. I wasn't about to argue with her."

"Oh."

"And then you were gone all those months, in rehab, I guess, and I went back to stay with my aunt Dany over the summer. I thought about moving in with her and going to college abroad, but..."

"But what?"

"I couldn't leave...this place...you." Jon tried to make eye contact, but Theon was staring straight ahead. He finally responded.

"But you already did. Leave...me."

"Yeah, I made a mistake. I've been trying to work up the courage to ask you for another chance...and then there you were with Sansa."

"You didn't seem all that thrilled to see me."

"I wasn't sure how you were feeling...and if you still cared...about us."

"Oh."

"Look, you don't have to decide anything right now. I just want you to know that I'm here...for you. And I want to be with you. I knew it when I found you that night. Actually...when I found your car in the parking lot and was afraid that something might have happened to you."

"Jon...if you really felt that way, you should have tried harder. You could have written to me or told Yara to fuck off..."

"I figured it was too late..."

"Yeah...so what's different now?"

"I want to make this work."

"Are you going to tell your family about us?"

"Yes...eventually..."

"Wow."

"No, I meant to say soon. I just don't want anyone to mess things up for us or get in the way..."

"Yeah, you've given me a lot to think about." Theon hopped off the swing abruptly and muttered to Jon, _See you later_ , before sprinting over to his car. He took off down the road, shaking his head in disbelief and disappointment at Jon's offer. It just wasn't enough.


	18. Chapter 18

Theon spotted a familiar figure seated in the middle of the bleachers and proceeded to the same spot. She appeared to be deep in thought, but when he plopped down beside her, Sansa quickly turned and gave him a smile. "Are you following me?" She was shielding her eyes from the sun and waiting for his reply.

"Actually, this is my afternoon ritual. I like to watch the archery team practice. What are you doing here?"

"Margery Tyrell. She told me to come and check out the field hockey tryouts. She thought I might be interested."

"Making new friends? And affluent ones at that."

"Margery's kind."

"Sure...when she wants something."

"I guess she wants me on the team. She thinks I would be an asset."

"Are you interested?"

"Maybe. It's probably time for me to get out of my comfort zone."

"Yeah, but are you tough enough?"

Sansa knew from his tone that Theon was only teasing her, so she shot back. "I took you on, didn't I?

He laughed. "Yeah, you taught a deformed weirdo how to knit."

"Theon. That's not what I meant."

"I know. But I have to self-deprecate. Gotta beat everyone to it."

"But I'm not everyone..." Sansa didn't look him in the eye, but she moved one of her hands to cover his and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"No, I guess not." Theon turned his fingers to interlock with hers.

But he didn’t hold her hand for too long and changed the subject. "Mrs. Mordane was pretty impressed with our work. I think I'll give her the scarf – instead of Yara. Don't know when it'll be cold enough to use it though."

"Winter will be here before you know it."

"But first...Homecoming. Are you going?"

"I doubt it. No date."

"Maybe I can think of someone suitable."

"No, thanks. I don't have the best luck. Remember?"

Theon knew exactly what she was talking about. He had been at Tormund’s party that night, hoping to run into Jon. It was around the time Theon had started hanging out with Ramsay, against his better judgement. Theon remembered feeling more like himself that night when he had stopped Joffrey from violating Sansa. "There's a special place in hell for that prick.”

“I never really got to thank you.”

“You didn’t need to. Joffrey Baratheon doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as you. But don't give up. Let’s see. Who is worthy enough for our Sansa Stark? How about Gendry?"

Sansa laughed out loud.

"Damn. I know he doesn't come from royalty but -"

"No, you don't understand. Arya would never forgive me. She's had a crush on Gendry since the first time he waited on us at Hot Pies."

"Lovelorn Arya. Well...what about Podrick Payne?"

"Hmmm. I've never thought about Pod that way. I dunno. I'm sort of getting over someone.”

"Oh? Anyone I know?"

"I'd rather not talk about it, but I recently found out that he's in love with someone else."

"That sucks."

"Yeah, I think I just need to be alone for a while.”

“Whatever you do, stay away from Principal Baelish. He seems like a real pervert. And I’ve seen him leering at some of the students.”

“Yuck! He and my mom used to date. Or he had a crush on her.” Sansa stuck her finger in her mouth and made a retching noise. Theon was both surprised and amused by her unladylike response.

"So…can I drive you home?"

"Sure. That'd be nice."

"Do you think your parents will care?"

"Why? Because it’s you? No. I'm sure they'd like to see you."

"On second thought, maybe I’ll just drop you off in your driveway."

"C'mon, Theon. You're going to have to see them sooner or later."

"Why's that?"

"Because...we're friends now." And she leaned over to kiss him on the cheek, which was also a very un-Sansa like gesture. Still, it made Theon feel good to know that at least someone – other than Yara – gave a damn about him.

^^^^^^^^^^

“Theon. This is quite a surprise.”

“Mrs. Stark. Hello.”

“I would have re-stocked the fridge had I known you were coming over. Still have that insatiable appetite?”

“Mostly.”

“Let me call Ned from his study. I know he’d like to see you. Ned! Theon Greyjoy is here!” She was speaking in such a sing-songy tone. Very unusual.

Theon stood in the hallway and continued to smile politely. Sansa nudged his arm. “Do you want something to drink?”

“No, thanks. I can’t stay very long.” And then he heard footsteps coming towards the front of the house. Ned Stark.

“Theon. Nice to see you again. How’s school going? I understand that you and Sansa were working on a project over the weekend?”

“Yes, sir. Sansa helped me with an assignment. And I heard that you all had a nice weekend at the fencing tournament.”

Everyone was smiling and nodding like old times. Theon had always wondered if the Starks knew about him and Jon. Jon never would say if he had told them directly or if they were opposed to same sex relationships in general. Or maybe they knew and they felt so sorry for Theon after the incident that they didn’t care.

Cateyln chimed in. “You should get in touch with Robb. He could use a real friend. Freshman year isn’t easy.”

“Yes, maybe I’ll do that.”

“And Jon too. If he would ever come up for air.”

Maybe they didn’t know anything about him and Jon. Which meant that Robb had kept quiet too. Theon paused awkwardly before turning to Sansa. “I’ll see you at school?”

“Yes. And thanks for the ride.”

“Sure. Goodbye Mr. and Mrs. Stark. I’ll see you later.”

“Come by any time, Theon.”

He waved at them as he walked out the front door, still puzzled by their warm reception. The Starks. They had somehow managed to find their way back into his life.


	19. Chapter 19

Theon and Sansa were sitting in his car in the driveway.

"Would you rather go to the football game tonight?"

Theon tapped his fingers indecisively on the steering wheel. "Would you?"

"No, let's stick with the plan - pizza and a movie. Besides, my parents aren't home. We have a baby-sitter."

Theon gulped. It had been less than two weeks since he and Jon had spoken in the park. And not a word since. "Anyone I know?" He held his breath.

"Maybe. She goes to college nearby. And you did have a stint with some college girls, right?"

"Who told?" Theon winked at Sansa. It was true, but he had exaggerated many of the details when he recounted them to Robb and Jon during one of their chats in the woods.

"Robb must have mentioned something to me...probably out of envy."

"Well...it wasn't very impressive. I got drunk in Yara's dorm room and threw up on one of her friends. But don't tell Robb. Let the legend continue."

"Sure. And I must warn you. Arya's here. And the boys."

"Just like old times."

"But they won't bother us. Let's go." Sansa got out of the car and waited for Theon to join her at the walkway.

"Here. Let me carry your bag."

"Theon. Thank you, but that's more of a boyfriend function. Don't you think?"

"Okay, fine. I won't offer again."

They both laughed, relieved that they could joke around without any awkwardness between them. Sansa was especially glad.

Once they reached the door, Sansa turned the knob, poking her head inside and announcing their arrival. "We're here! Hello?"

Arya came bounding down the hallway. "Sansa, can we talk?" And then she noticed Theon. "Oh, hi, Digits...I mean, Theon!"

"Hi, squirt."

Arya made a face at Theon but then pulled her sister into the darkened living room and began whispering to her. Theon headed towards the kitchen to find something to eat, and he encountered a familiar figure - a young woman with short, platinum blond hair. "Brienne?"

She seemed to look right through him. "Where are the girls? I told their mother I would look after them. I promised her."

"They're fine. They're in the living room. I brought Sansa home, and we're gonna hang out for a little while. Do you remember me?"

Brienne looked him up and down and was clearly not impressed. "Oh...right. Yara's little brother."

All of a sudden, there was a shriek from down the hall. Brienne leaped up from the table and pushed past Theon. He followed behind her.

"Girls! What happened?"

Sansa was on the verge of tears. "It's my dog. Lady! I just saw her running into the woods. Arya! Did you forget to latch the gate again?"

Arya looked down at her feet sheepishly. "Maybe."

"Theon, come with me to get her back. Please?" Sansa seemed extremely panicked.

"Yeah, sure. Don't worry. We'll find her."

"What if she gets bitten by a snake?"

"Those woods are pretty safe. But let's not take any chances. C'mon."

He grabbed her arm, and they dashed out the front door. Arya called out to her sister. "Sansa, I'm sorry!"

^^^^^^^^^^

"Anything?" Sansa looked over at Theon hopefully.

"No. Maybe she ran back to the house."

"Let's go a little further to be sure."

Theon trudged along beside her through the fallen, dried leaves. The path that he had walked many times before had disappeared. He spotted a tree where he had carved his initials...and Jon's. Sansa seemed too distracted with their search for Lady to notice.

Before Theon realized it, they had arrived near the small clearing where he and Jon were discovered by Robb many months ago. He really wanted to turn back and not be reminded of the beginning of the end of their relationship.

But he paused. "Hey, Sansa. Do you smell smoke?"

She shrugged her shoulders and then stopped suddenly at the edge of the clearing. Sansa was waiting for Theon to take in the scene in front of them.

There was a campfire burning low and beyond that, a small tent that didn't look very well assembled. And there was Jon, pacing back and forth nervously. When he met Theon's surprised expression, Jon couldn't help but smile just a little.

"What's going on?" Theon looked towards Sansa and then back at Jon.

"You know, I bet Lady did wander back to the house. I think I'll go check on her." Sansa nudged Theon forward and whispered to him. "Go on." She started to back away and winked at Jon before disappearing into the woods.

Jon approached Theon cautiously. He was wearing jeans and a white t shirt with a navy blue hoodie. "Can we talk?"

Theon nodded slowly and followed Jon as if in a trance. After they were seated by the fire, Theon managed to get a few words out. "You told her?"

"I did. And Arya knows too. So it won't be long before they all do."

"But...why?"

"Because I was hoping that you'd take me back." Jon scooted closer to Theon and pulled his hands into his own. "I promise you...it'll be different this time. Will you trust me?"

It was quiet for a minute, but then Theon squeezed Jon's hand before stroking his cheek softly. He moved close enough to graze his lips over Jon's before whispering to him. "I think we should get back together. You clearly need someone who can show you how to pitch a tent properly." They both looked towards the lopsided tent and laughed.

^^^^^^^^^^

"Yep, the fire is out." Theon threw himself into the flap of the tent and crawled back into Jon's arms inside the sleeping bag.

"Why didn't you bring a coat?"

"Because I didn't know I'd be spending the night in the woods after a fake story about a lost dog."

"C'mon. You must have known I'd be here."

"Yeah, right. I was just certain you would make some grand, sweeping romantic gesture to win me back. That's so you." Theon nudged Jon's ribs with his elbow and settled back into a comfortable position, resting his head on Jon's chest.

"We should get breakfast."

"Yeah, we should...but what about my car?"

"Sansa told me she'd move it to a more discreet location and tell Brienne that you decided to bail."

"So you two really conspired on this one. You weren't worried about telling her?"

"I think she figured it out already."

"Of course she did. The way you kept looking at me from across the kitchen table."

"Yeah, but all joking aside..." Jon sat up so that he could look into Theon's eyes. "I don't want to let anything get in between us again."

Theon stared back at him and threaded his fingers into Jon's. "It won't." He leaned up to meet Jon's lips and pull him closer. "No matter what."


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three months later...

It was a perfect day for a field hockey match. Sansa had become a beast of a player in just a few months time.

Theon and Jon sat on the visitors side, but had just as good a view of the field and didn't have to worry about any awkward seating arrangements with the Starks.

Arya met up with them at half time at the refreshment stand. "Buy me some candy?"

"Sure thing, squirt."

Once Theon turned eighteen, he was entitled to a large portion of his Bolton settlement money, so he and Yara rented a small apartment closer to her university and left Balon to fend for himself. It was freeing to leave the old miser behind, and now Theon didn't have to worry about being disowned by his father for his relationship with Jon.

They returned to their seats for the second half, sitting close enough on the bleachers to hold hands inconspicuously. Their relationship was probably too much for Westerville, so their plan was to wait until Theon finished his senior year and then decide on where they would go next.

At the end of the third quarter, Sansa waved at them on her way to the North bench. Theon hoped that she too would eventually find a way out of Westerville, but for the time being, she was feeling more like she had found a place for herself.

After the game, Theon and Jon went to congratulate her on another victory. As expected, they came face to face with Robb and his parents. All parties nodded politely.

Sansa was trying to play the role of unifier. "Guys. Come have a celebratory dinner with us?" It was sweet of her to try, but things still felt strained, especially with Robb.

Jon responded. "Thanks. Maybe next time." Then he leaned down to pinch Bran and Rickon on the cheeks. "I'll stop by soon and take you to the park. Okay?"

Theon had always told Jon that he would be ready and willing to spend quality time with the Starks, whenever Jon was ready.

Catelyn and Robb turned to usher the children towards the parking lot, while Ned stayed back. He held out his hand to Jon and waited for Jon to return the gesture.

"We love you, Jon. You know that, right?"

Jon nodded, looking down at his feet, not wanting to show any emotion. He took a deep breath. "If you love me, then you have to accept who I am. And who I'm with." Jon dropped his uncle's hand and put his arm around Theon.

Ned looked at them with a kind expression. "You've both been through some difficult times. Take care of each other." He turned to walk away but then left them with one more parting thought. "And if anyone gives you any shit, you let me know."

Jon and Theon smiled at each other briefly and then Ned.

"Thanks, Uncle Ned."

"Thanks, Mr. Stark."

Jon took Theon's hand, and they watched as Ned walked away, quickening his pace to catch up with the rest of the Starks at the top of the hill.

"You sure you don't want to join them?"

"Another time. Besides, I'm not in the mood for anything fancy. Just a good old slice of pepperoni pizza."

"With mushrooms?"

Jon paused before planting a kiss on Theon's lips. He didn't care who was watching. "Anything for you."


End file.
